Rumors from the Boys' Room

February 1, 2012

Gr 4-7-Sixth-grader Sofia Becker writes an anonymous blog on her middle school website. She and her BFF, Nona, are among the "unpopulars," but she knows that once her blog takes off, they'll both become "populars." In this venue, she writes only what she hears for herself, jotting things down in her Pre-Blogging Notebook so she won't confuse details, which leads to humorous mix-ups: what she thinks she hears and what is true aren't exactly the same. Pretty, popular Mia and snooty, mean Penelope, who debuted in Gossip from the Girls' Room (Delacorte, 2011), as well as Sofia's pregnant mother, who is teaching at her school, are constant sources of irritation to her, yet at the same time they are great fodder for her blog. The lightweight plot skips along steadily, and the black-and-white sketches on lined notebooklike paper add appeal. Cooper's uncanny ability to think, illustrate, and blog like a middle schooler shines through in Sofia's charming, comical voice. Fans of Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series (Abrams) as well as other diary-related books should find this one especially attractive, while the short, easy format will appeal to reluctant readers.-D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH

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