How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot

Stephanie Landry's been the least-popular girl in her class since a certain incident five years earlier. But this year, she has a secret weapon: An old book called How to Be Popular. All Steph has to do is follow the instructions in The Book, and soon she'll be partying with the It Crowd (including quarterback Mark Finley) instead of sitting on The Hill Saturday nights, stargazing with her nerdy best pal Becca, and even nerdier Jason (now kind of hot, but still).

Steph doesn't realize that it's easy to become popular. What isn't so easy? Staying that way.

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"Our rgz pick for December, How to be Popular by Meg Cabot, is the sweet and hilarious story of Steph Landry. It explores the timeless theme of wanting to be part of the in crowd. Cabot's deft humor and sharp characterizations make this page-turner a perfect read for the month!" - Melissa Walker, readergirlz diva 9 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list Also on the USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists BookSense Pick NYPL Book for the Teen Age Movie rights optioned by MTV

Meg Cabot

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On the nightstand: Pounce (for the cat). Sarah Vowell's The Wordyshipmates (for me). Reading glasses (also for me).

Favorite drink while you write: Ice-cold water

Favorite bookstore: Black Orchid Mystery Book Shop in NYC (closed)

Favorite library: Monroe County Public Library in Bloomington, IN

Pets: Henrietta, my one-eyed cat

Place to write: My bed

Inspiration: My readers!

Dream book tour: Hawaii. I wish.

Writer buddies: Susan Juby, Michele Jaffe, Maureen Johnson, Rachel Vail, Judy Blume, R.L. Stine, way too many others to name!

Cure for writer's block: Long bike rides, shaving my legs, cleaning, watching Lifetime movies, sleeping...

Favorite outfit: Shorts, T-shirt, flip-flops

Long-hand or laptop? Laptop

Stilettos or Uggs? Flip-flops

Next up: Princess Diaries 10: Forever Princess and Ransom My Heart by Mia Thermopolis

Author idols: Sally Benson, who wrote some of my favorite books, Meet Me in St. Louis and Junior Miss, and my favorite Hitchcock movie, Shadow of a Doubt.

Website: www.megcabot.com

Bonus: readergirlz and postergirlz discuss popularity

 

 

rgz LIVE!

Discuss the book with the author herself. Meg Cabot will be chatting live at the readergirlz forum on Thursday, December 18th at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST. The chat will last for about an hour.

Contrary to popular belief, the key to being popular is not about being interesting. It's about being interested. It's about stepping outside yourself – learning to listen and empathize with others, lending a helping hand, and being friendly with everyone.

Try your hand at being interested this month! Visit www.dosomething.org to look for causes that appeal to you, then find out how to take action. Search community service projects by category, time commitment, location, and more. Pitching in is the real way to get popular, rgz!

These tunes are all songs are from the 1970s with which Jason, a character from How to Be Popular, is obsessed.

Let the Good Times Roll - The Cars
Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones
God Save the Queen - Sex Pistols
Young Americans - David Bowie
Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
My Sharona - The Knack
London Calling - The Clash
Heart of Glass - Blondie
Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
Cantina Band - Star Wars

Have you ever done anything embarrassing like Steph's cherry Super Gulp incident? If so, were you able to live it down?

What do you think of the tips in How to Be Popular, the how-to manual Steph finds in the attic? Do you think they would work?

Is there a social hierarchy at your school like there is at Steph's? Are the popular kids at your school nice or mean?

What do you think of the way Steph treats Becca and Jason in her quest to become popular?

Would you have opened the door and let the gang have their keg party in the observatory?

How important is being popular to you?

Invite: A big smiley face: Remember one of the rules to becoming popular: "Always have a ready smile for everyone."

Food: Cherry Super Big Gulps, smiley face cookies (with M&Ms), Doritos

Décor: Have a fifties theme! Dress like a 1950s teenybopper: pair a nice blouse or sweater with a poodle skirt or rolled-up jeans, then slip on a pair of saddle shoes.

Movies: Mean Girls, Hairspray, and Grease.

Crafts: Make a scrapbook that looks like a high school yearbook page with photos of all your friends.

Recommended by postergirlz, the readergirlz advisory council

Fiction
How Not to Be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler
A La Carte by Tanita S. Davis
Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
Fringe Girl by Valerie Frankel

Non-Fiction
Respect: A Girl's Guide to Getting Respect & Dealing When Your Line Is Crossed by Courtney Macavinta and Andrea Vander Pluym

 

Want to get ahead in your reading and be prepared for our upcoming discussions? Here are the readergirlz book picks for the first three months of 2009:

January: A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
February: No Laughter Here by Rita Williams-Garcia
March: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson