Babe in Boyland

December 13, 2010
Having reworked Much Ado About Nothing in Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty, Gehrman uses the Shakespearean vehicle of the cross-dressing heroine in this lighthearted but insightful romantic comedy. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Rowan writes an overly optimistic relationship column for her high school paper, yet has no relationship history to speak of. After being accused of cluelessness about males, she launches a secret mission, assuming a male identity and attending a nearby boys' boarding school for a week to write an investigative article about "the most mysterious of animals: the human boy." Despite a string of embarrassing (and often hilarious) incidents, the plan is off to a good start until Natalie falls in love with her roommate, encounters a girl who could blow her cover, and begins to see the world from a male perspective. Although the ease with which Natalie infiltrates Underwood Academy and misses a week of class requires significant suspension of disbelief, Natalie's exuberance and humor carry the story. Unlike her protagonist, Gehrman has no trouble getting inside the heads of boys—or inside the environment of a boys' school. Ages 12–up.

January 1, 2011

Natalie (aka Dr. Aphrodite) pens the love column for her school's newspaper. Criticized for her lack of understanding of how guys think, she decides to go undercover at Underwood, an all-boys boarding school. Drawing upon her experience as an actress and her friends' knowledge of make-up and wardrobe, Natalie transforms herself into Nat and infiltrates the school. She soon finds out that guys are as varied as girls and that they are equally clueless in their dealings with the opposite gender. In a breathless, first-person narration, Natalie manages to tiptoe through the minefield of urinals, gym class and neckties only to find herself facing her biggest challenge: her attraction to her yummy roommate, Emilio. Brash and clueless as a girl and unconvincing as a boy, Natalie is barely likable and infrequently real. Hobbled by the overfamiliar girl-in-boy-drag premise, one-dimensional characters and predictable plot twists, this story never makes it out of the starting gate. (Fiction. 12 & up)

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February 1, 2011

Gr 9 Up-Girls dressing up as boys are a staple of Shakespeare and teen historical fiction. The device works in this likable modern comedy even though it sometimes strains readers' suspension of disbelief. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Rowan writes an advice column about relationships for her school paper. While "Dr. Aphrodite" is wildly popular, she's accused of only supporting the girls' points of view and telling them what they want to hear. When she learns about the Story of the Year Award for investigative reporting, she decides to go undercover as "Nat" at a local boys' academy for a week to discover how the other half thinks. She hits bottom socially but, after she's discovered cavorting with her two girl friends in a theater storage room, she's considered a "player." Meanwhile, she falls for her roommate, Emilio, a sensitive guy who opens up to her thinking she's a he. The plotline gets more absurd as Emilio sets Nat up with his sister. Natalie is unmasked by a theater rival whom she upstages while appearing as herself and pretending to be Nat's cousin. At first, Emilio is unforgiving but all's well that ends well. Natalie flubs up so much as a boy, it's hard to imagine that she doesn't get caught earlier. She endures plenty of guy nudity and grossness as well. The conclusions she draws in her article are thought-provoking but heavy-handed. Natalie and Emilio are well-rounded, appealing characters, and this book will challenge girls' perceptions about the opposite sex even as they enjoy a quick humorous read.-Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

bookerling - Do you like love story's? Babe In Boyland is one of my favorites. The main character is a very shy but nice girl. Natille has this webpage, its all about boys. She writes all their secrets but lately she cant get any. In the book Natille, has to find out secrets about boys. Why you ask because some people think what she says is fake. "Dr. Love never loved anyone." "I don't have a boyfriend now!" stuff like that. sooooo, Natilles BFFs turned her into Nat and sent her to an all boys school o get all the juicy secrets. Here are some reasons why I like Babe In Boyland. One reason is whenever I tried to put the book down I couldn't, it was just such a good book. Another reason is it was just so interesting! The last reason is because I like how loyal her friends are. My recommendations are for kids who like love story's, or if your on a log carried because you can't put it down. I think 10 years of age and older kids should read this book. I love this book I think you will too! I hope you will enjoy! :)

April 1, 2011
Grades 8-11 Its a story told many times before (in fact, it follows the plot of the 1980s teen comedy Just One of the Guys almost exactly), but its a hard-to-resist formula. Seventeen-year-old Natalie is a budding Carrie Bradshaw, writing a school love column as Dr. Aphrodite. Craving more insight, she hatches a crazy plan: armed with a new haircut, fake stubble, and a well-positioned sock, she becomes Nat and enrolls for a week in the nearby boys academy. Thenshocker!she falls for her swoonworthy roommate. Gehrman has a good ear for gender specifics (e.g., the involuntary girly sounds Nat keeps making), and the pages do keep a-turning.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)