GEEK CHIC

Tweens will celebrate the arrival of an intrepid heroine with plenty of sparkle and spunk to spare. At nearly 11, Zoey may have just begun fifth grade, but she is already counting down to sixth. Determined not to put those 198 days to waste, she decides that an image-intervention is required in order to achieve that pinnacle of cool: to sit with “The Bashleys” during lunch. Palatini captures the growing pains of young girls on the cusp of preadolescence, struggling to define themselves while desperately wanting to fit in with the group. Zoey chronicles her (mis)adventures with an openness and wry self-awareness that will have readers laughing even as they cringe in commiseration. An impromptu meeting with teen magazine journalists leads to Zoey’s discovery that geek is chic, when you embrace your individuality. Snappy prose coupled with graphic-novel styling holds appeal for savvy modern readers up-to-date with rapid-fire texting and instant messaging. (Fiction. 8-11)