How Not to Be Popular
Maggie Dempsey is tired of moving all over the country. Her parents are second-generation hippies who uproot her every year or so to move to a new city. When Maggie was younger, she thought it was fun and adventurous. Now that she’s a teenager, she hates it. Whenever she moved, she left behind good friends, great schools, and a real feeling of belonging. But when she moved after her junior year, she also left behind a boyfriend. Now that her family has moved to Austin, Texas, she knows better. She’s not going to make friends. She’s not going to fit in. She’ll do anything to resist liking this new place and others from liking her.
Only… things don’t go exactly as planned. It turns out that being unnoticed, unwanted, and unpopular is harder than it seems.
352 pages, Ages 12 and up, 2008, Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 978-0385734653 (hardcover), 978-0440240242 (paperback)
2012-2013 Spirit of Texas Reading Program – High School – Featured Title
Texas Library Association Young Adult Round Table (YART)
2010 Young Adults’ Choices Reading List
International Literacy Association (ILA)
2010-2011 YARP Reading List
South Dakota State Library Association
2009 Lone Star Reading List
Texas Library Association Young Adult Round Table (YART)
“Maggie and Jack’s relationship rings true, adding an irresistible sincerity to both characters that allows Maggie’s self-discovery and growth to unfold naturally. Thoughtful and fun.”
Kirkus Reviews
“This book has heart … it has a sweet story of friendship at its core …”
School Library Journal
“Balances laugh-out-loud, sardonic commentary with earnest reflections …”
Booklist
“Positive and touching … a witty, fresh perspective to the YA literature scene.”
KLIATT
“Unapologetically honest and with a laugh or gasp on every page, How Not to Be Popular will make readers rethink what the word ‘popularity’ really means.”
Kate Brian, author of the Private series
Be a fan!
Sometimes bad is good and good is bad–or so we think. How Not to Be Popular is about those times when the world seems turned inside out. When it hurts to care about someone… and be cared about. When you don’t want to be noticed. When a bad day puts a big smile on your face.
How Not to Be Popular is about the little ironies of life… the push-pull struggle of growing up.