Publisher Description

"Punks, Poseurs, and Pervs—Just Another Day at High School"
Jessie is so excited to start her sophomore year of high school, with her carefully planned outfits and her ample stash of school supplies. But things take an unexpected turn when everyone in her life changes. Her two best friends have gone poseur-punk and are both flirting with her longtime crush. Her beloved older brother is about to go off to college—and he shaved his Mohawk and started dating the homecoming queen. Jessie is suddenly clique-less. When she starts chatting up a girl in homeroom, she’s surprised by an invite to join the Dungeons and Dragons crowd Will hanging out with them make her a nerd? And when she sees how cute one of their members is, does it really matter?

Author Biography

Julie Halpern is middle school librarian in suburban Chicago." "She is the author of the children's book "Toby and the Snowflakes." Her likes include road trips, board games, and eating. Her dislikes include traffic, insomnia, and meanies. Julie lives in Northern Illinois with her husband, illustrator Matthew Cordell, and their squeezably soft Siamese cat, Tobin.

Review

"The relationships and dialogue ring true; readers navigating the stratified social structures of high school will relish an ending that celebrates true friendship." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review"Readers will both identify with and like Jessie and will cheer her conversion from meek to outspoken." --Kirkus Reviews"Reinvention is rarely so delightfully nerdy." --Booklist"This novel is particularly strong in showing how teen friendships evolve and sometimes die away, and how adolescents redefine themselves." --School Library Journal"Witty" --Horn Book Review." . . funny, easygoing prose . . . an appealingly comic cousin of Carolyn Mackler's The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things." --Kirkus on Get Well Soon"I completely fell in love with Anna Bloom's voice--it's wry, romantic, and so, so true." --Gabrielle Zevin, author of Elsewhere on Get Well Soon"Engaging . . . real . . . refreshing, and natural, and the descriptions of the situations are hilarious!" --TeenReads.com on Get Well Soon"This book is hilarious, refreshing, honest and AWESOME!" --Elise, age 14 on Get Well Soon"Witty, sarcastic, and drop-dead hilarious . . . this book made me laugh the most out of any book I have EVER read." --Jason, age 14 on Get Well Soon

Review Quote

Witty, sarcastic, and drop-dead hilarious . . . this book made me laugh the most out of any book I have EVER read.

Excerpt from Book

Chapter 1 I so used to love the first day of school. Ever since my mom let me pick out my first pair of first-day-of-school navy Mary Janes with the flower pattern puckered into the top, I knew I'd like the newness, yet revel in the sameness that the first day of school always brings. New pens I'll lose after first period, new schedules with the promise of a cool new teacher or intriguing new exchange student, and new classes to ace. Not in a braggy, nerdy way, just in an I'm-smart-and-I-kind-of-like-to-study way. It's not as though school defines me. Although, I guess I don't really know what defines me. Yet. Not like my best friends, Bizza and Char. Would it be lame to say that they define me?

Details