The Clueless Girl's Guide to Being a Genius

July 15, 2011

A fantastical and funny story features the unlikeliest of friends.

Thirteen-year-old math genius Aphrodite Wigglebottom believes that anyone can be a math whiz. She sets out to prove her theory by teaching an eighth-grade remedial math class. The students initially reject their teenage teacher, but Aphrodite slowly wins them over, both by knowing her stuff and by her willingness to use whatever means necessary to get her students' attention, including literally gluing them into their desks. She even convinces them to compete in a math contest against the smartest kids in school. Aphrodite might know an awful lot of math, but she soon discovers that there is a lot about being 13 that she doesn't know. Enter Mindy Loft, terrible at math but an expert at makeovers, baton twirling and, well, at being 13. The two girls narrate in alternating chapters, telling a lighthearted, funny and often bizarre saga of middle-school mayhem. Underneath the drama, though, is a gentle, uplifting message: Even though we can't explain how or why some friendships form, the best of them help us to understand ourselves and change us in fundamental ways.

Equal parts silly and endearing, this one will appeal to fans of Wendy Mass and Megan McDonald. (Fiction. 8-12) 

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August 1, 2011

Gr 5-8-For most people, the term "middle school math" conjures a mash of protractors, confusing equations, and calculators. But, for two very different girls, it becomes the perfect way to begin a lifelong friendship. Aphrodite Wigglesmith is a math prodigy and Harvard graduate. At the age of 13, she finds her way back to her middle school alma mater as a teacher in hopes of proving her theory that "anyone can become a math genius." Mindy Loft, a student in her remedial math class, prides herself on her looks and baton-twirling skills. Through a field trip to a pool hall, the development of a math team, a trip to the mall, and other events, the girls learn that they are more alike than their appearances suggest. In the end, they both gain what they need: a true friend and self-confidence. While Repka's approach to the coming-of-age genre is fresh, the story is predictable and rather unrealistic. Aphrodite and Mindy are likable, yet stereotypical. Middle school readers, however, will be drawn to the conversation-filled story, which includes teen slang and adolescent thoughts. They will enjoy the duel narration, which provides insight into both girls' characters. At times the plot is slow, but overall keeps readers' attention.-Mary-Brook J. Townsend, The McGillis School, Salt Lake City, UT

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