Millicent Min, Girl Genius

Starred review from November 10, 2003
Readers don't have to share Millicent Min's IQ to empathize with the 11-year-old genius narrator featured in this energetic first novel. Millicent breezes through high school and college classes, but when it comes to making friends her own age, she's at a loss. In an attempt to give her daughter "a more normal and well-rounded childhood," Millicent's mother signs her up for a volleyball league. Even though the narrator abhors the idea of playing a team sport ("As I see it, my childhood is round enough," she remarks), going to practice does give her the opportunity to form a solid camaraderie with new-girl-in-town Emily, who hates volleyball as much as Millicent does. Not wanting to jeopardize her precious new friendship, Millicent keeps her mental capabilities a secret; as might be expected, deception soon leads to disaster. When Emily turns her back on Millicent for pretending to be someone she's not, Millicent must solve a problem more difficult than any math equation or test question. How can she regain Emily's trust? Millicent's unique personality—a blend of rationality and naïveté—makes for some hilarious moments as the young protagonist interacts with a cast of colorful characters including her athletic, down-to-earth mother, her laid-back father, and her beloved grandmother, who borrows sage advice from the television show, Kung Fu. Yee re-examines the terms "smart" and "dumb," while offering a heartfelt story full of wit. Ages 9-12.

Starred review from January 12, 2004
Youthful actress Agena, perhaps best known for her role as Lane Kim on TV's Gilmore Girls
, is perfect as Millicent Min, a certified genius who still has plenty to learn in this humorous and touching novel. Millicent has always been an overachiever, and takes pride in the fact that she will be entering her senior year of high school when her contemporaries begin sixth grade. Though she's long been content to spend hours at the library or visiting with her grandmother, the summer before 12th grade provides Millicent's social life a real jolt. Millicent's mom has signed her up for a volleyball team, and Millicent will be tutoring a family friend her own age, Stanford Wong. But along the way, Millicent finds her first true friend in 11-year-old Emily. And best of all—at least initially—Emily doesn't know a thing about Millicent's intellectual gifts and thinks Millicent is swell all the same. Agena nails the assured tone of someone who has reached lofty goals and received heaps of praise. In addition, her interpretation of Millicent's attempts to be a little more hip or popular are laugh-out-loud funny (just as they are written in Yee's fine debut novel). A solid and enjoyable listening experience from start to finish. Ages 8-12. (Oct. 2003).