The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Starred review from January 7, 2008
Big ideas are an essential part of the fun in this sparkling tour de force. Back at her elite boarding school after a summer vacation in which she has grown from duckling to swan, sophomore Frankie starts dating cool, gorgeous senior Matthew and instantly becomes a part of his charmed social circle. Hanging with Matthew and his crowd is a thrill, but Frankie begins to chafe as she realizes that the boys are all members of the secret society to which her own father belonged, the Loyal Order of the Basset Hound, and that not only will they never let her join, Matthew will not even tell her about it. Lockhart (Dramarama
; The Boyfriend List
) dexterously juggles a number of smart and tantalizing themes—class and privilege, feminism and romance, wordplay and thought, friendship and loyalty—and combines the pacing of a mystery with writing that realizes settings and characters, large and small, with an artist’s sure hand. Inspired by a class called Cities, Art and Protest, Frankie concocts a brilliant plan to infiltrate the Bassets and has them carry out a series of pranks that wittily challenge the politics of the school. Girls especially will be interested in this unusual portrait of a heroine who falls in love without blurring her sense of self, even if none of her friends understands her, and in Lockhart’s fresh approach to gender politics. An exuberant, mischievous story, it scores its points memorably and lastingly. Ages 12-up.

Starred review from March 1, 2008
Gr 7 Up-Frankie Landau-Banks has always been underestimated. After spending her childhood as a bright but sheltered ugly duckling, she begins sophomore year at her elite boarding school as a swan, catching the attention of senior Matthew Livingston. Frankie is ecstatic, particularly when she learns that he is the leader of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, an all-male secret society. She spends most of her time with Matthew and his friends but soon realizes that no matter how smart or funny she may be, she will never truly be a part of the group, simply because she is a girl. This frustrates her to no end. In a remarkable turn of events, Frankie takes control and begins to direct the Bassets, through email, in a series of elaborate school pranks, revitalizing the Order and the student body as well. These ingenious pranks embody the vigor of Frankie's personality, making social commentary on everything from the school's lack of female leadership to its disgusting cafeteria salad bar. Lockhart has created a layered and engrossing story that is as smart and quick as Frankie, combining the thrilling prospect of how she will get caught with her earnest attempts to understand what it means to be an outsider, an underdog, and in love. An empowered female hero like Frankie is a rare and refreshing find. She is the ultimate feminist role model for teens: a girl with guts and imagination who's brave enough to take on the "old boy's club.""Emily Anne Valente, New York Public Library"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2008
In the summer between her freshman and sophomore years, Frankie Landau-Banks transforms from a scrawny, awkward child with frizzy hair to a curvy beauty, all while sitting quietly in a suburban hammock, reading the short stories of Dorothy Parker and drinking lemonade. On her return to Alabaster Prep, her elite boarding school, she attracts the attention of gorgeous Matthew, who draws her into his circle of popular seniors. Then Frankie learns that Matthew is a member of the Loyal Orderof the Basset Hounds, an all-male Alabaster secret society to which Frankies dad had once belonged. Excluded from belonging to or even discussing the Bassets, Frankie engineersher ownguerilla membership by assuming a false online identity. Frankie is a fan of P. G. Wodehousesbooks, and Lockharts wholly engaging narrative, filled with wordplay, often reads like a clever satire about the capersof the entitled, interwoven with elements of a mystery. But the storys expertly timed comedy also has deep undercurrents. Lockhart creates a unique, indelible character in Frankie, whose oddities only make her more realistic, and teens will be galvanized by her brazen action and her passionate, immediate questions about gender and power, individuals and institutions, and how to fall in love without losing herself.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)