{"product_id":"popular-isbn-9780147512543","title":"Popular","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003eBestseller\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA breakout teen author explores the true meaning of popularity and how to survive middle school in this hysterically funny, touchingly honest contemporary memoir. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I was inspired by [Maya's] journey and made a point of saving a copy of ‘Popular’ for my sister, who starts middle school this fall. Maybe if I had read it when I was her age, it could have saved me from a world of hurt, or at least put that world in perspective.” —Maude Apatow, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eCan curlers, girdles, Vaseline, and a strand of pearls help a shy girl become popular?\u003cbr\u003eMaya Van Wagenen is about to find out. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStuck near the bottom of the social ladder at “pretty much the lowest level of people at school who aren’t paid to be here,” Maya has never been popular. But before starting eighth grade, she decides to begin a unique social experiment: spend the school year following a 1950s popularity guide, written by former teen model Betty Cornell.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe real-life results are hilarious, painful, and filled with unexpected surprises. Told with humor and grace, Maya’s journey offers readers of all ages a thoroughly contemporary example of kindness and self-confidence, along with a better understanding of what it means to be popular.\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eA New York Times bestseller!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMaya Van Wagenen is a Time magazine Top 16 Most Influential Teen of 2013\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eand a Huffington Post Most Fearless Teen of 2013\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I was inspired by her journey and made a point of saving a copy of ‘Popular’ for my sister,\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewho starts middle school this fall. Maybe if I had read it when I was her age, it could have\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003esaved me from a world of hurt, or at least put that world in perspective.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e—Maude Apatow for the\u003ci\u003e New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003ePopular \u003c\/i\u003etaps into a feeling shared by Bradbury and Bieber enthusiasts alike—the need to\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003efit in during middle school.” —\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Everyone’s happiness project looks different, and I was utterly charmed by Maya Van\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWagenen’s honest, funny, and thought-provoking account of her efforts to become ‘popular.’”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e—Gretchen Rubin, #1 bestselling author of\u003ci\u003e The Happiness Project\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Geeky and dorky, but never wimpy, Maya Van Wagenen is as powerful and honest as she\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eis quirky and funny—and startlingly gifted. She’s the real deal, folks,\u003cb\u003e a teenage John Green\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003efor the next generation.\u003c\/b\u003e Stunning.” —Margaret Stohl, bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures series\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Maya Van Wagenen’s memoir, \u003ci\u003ePopular\u003c\/i\u003e, would have been wonderful to read as a kid, and\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eso reassuring to Nerdy Teenage Me. Her year-long experiment in popularity is \u003cb\u003etimeless\u003c\/b\u003e; the\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eintelligent and humane way she gets to the heart of the matter is uniquely her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFunny, determined, and wry, Van Wagenen has written a wise, heartfelt guide for\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eother kids eager to keep up.” —Rachel Hartman, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eSeraphina\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An interesting and earnest memoir.” —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“While completely appropriate for middle school readers, \u003ci\u003ePopular \u003c\/i\u003eis even more entertaining\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003efor adults. Van Wagenen is a uniquely gifted talent with a gem of a first novel” —\u003ci\u003eVOYA\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMaya Van Wagenen is sixteen years old.  When she was eleven, her family moved to Brownsville, Texas, the setting of \u003ci\u003ePopular\u003c\/i\u003e. When not hunched over a desktop writing, Maya enjoys reading, British television, and chocolate. She now lives with her parents and two siblings in rural Georgia. She is a junior in high school .And so, I embark on my grand experiment. Every month of this school year I will follow Betty Cornell’s advice on the topics in her book: dieting, hair, makeup, posture, and attitude, among others – no matter how embarrassing or difficult.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI definitely have my work cut out for me. That is if I’m not already beyond help. I am 5’2” with light brown skin that breaks out in acne on a regular basis. I am gawky, slouchy, and just a little bit lumpy. I have non-existent hips and a chest almost as flat as the cover of Betty Cornell’s book. I wear glasses and braces. I do all my clothes shopping at Walmart and second-hand stores. I spend more time on algebra than I do on my hair.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaybe things will change. Can popularity advice from more than half a century ago still be relevant? I’ll find out. Crazier things have happened, right? Men have walked on the moon and society has found a way to grow square watermelons.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBetty Cornell has become my new soul mate, and I am married to her every word. For better or worse.","brand":"Speak","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302995316965,"sku":"NP9780147512543","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780147512543_cbc60411-ba26-45fd-8c1d-fb93c3e1b37f.jpg?v=1767734976","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/popular-isbn-9780147512543","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}