I really wish I could remember how I heard about this book but I can’t. As soon as I learned of it, I placed a request for it at the Tulsa Public Library who had it on order. 

This is an amazing book. I laughed, I cried, I truly enjoyed the book which is probably written for middle school kids. More amazingly, it was written BY a middle school kid.

Maya Van Wagenen decided to document her eighth grade year as she followed along an old book her dad gave to her. He had picked up Betty Cornell’s Teenage Guide to Popularity thinking it might turn out to be an interesting piece of Americana. Eventually, he decided to give it to Maya thinking she might find it amusing. With the encouragement of her mother, Maya decided to “do” the book through her eight grade year and document the results. 

Maya is clearly smart as a whip and an excellent writer for someone of any age. But she had never been popular and decided this would be a good experiment to see what makes someone popular and if she could achieve popularity.

She arranged the book in order of difficulty taking one chapter a month and putting the advice into action. I particularly love Maya’s insight on posture. Everything we do at Athletic Mission is based upon a foundation of proper posture. In the past several years, I’ve notice and often commented on how pageant gals ruin their whole look in evening gown by not standing up straight. Let’s face it, over all (no matter the circumstances) someone who stands tall, with great posture just appears more confident. 

I did a google search this morning to find out a little more about Maya (mostly because I just couldn’t believe she is only 15) and I came across this interview where she talks about the book and movie deal she has.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun read. If you have teenagers, this is a great book for them to read. I loved it and look forward to seeing where Maya goes in life. 🙂