How to Rock Braces and Glasses (galley)

How to Rock Braces and Glasses by Meg Haston (galley). Poppy; Oct., 2011.

Audience: 5th-6th grade

My Rating: 3* of 5

Summary: Uber-harsh, and uber-stylish Kacey Simon is the undisputed social dictator of Marquette Middle School. That is, until an eye infection and a visit to the dentist leave her with coke-bottle glasses, a mouth full of metal, and...a littttthsp! Dissed and dismissed by her popular friends, Kacey is forced to hang out with a boy who wears skinny jeans and jams in his own band. Could rocking braces and glasses be the best thing to ever happen to her?

Comments: Kacey begins the book as an unlikable character of Massie proportions! So much so that I almost put the galley down for good. But after a few chapters, and the entrance of intriguing rocker, Skinny Jeans. It takes most of the book for Kacey to finally do the right thing and the romance thread is left a bit unresolved...perhaps for a sequel. All told, a fun and surprisingly unpredictable ride.
Read-Alikes: Clique series

NERDS by Michael Buckley (audio)

NERDS (National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society) by Michael Buckley. Recorded Books, 2009. Narrated by Johnny Heller.
Audience: Grades 4 through 6
My Rating: 3* of 5
Summary: While running a spy network from their elementary school, five unpopular misfits combine their talents and use cutting-edge gadgetry to fight evil around the world.
Comments: Revenge of the Nerds meets James Bond. Clever and funny with plenty of booger jokes to boot. Heller lost my interest in many spots with his slow pacing, but I always made it back on track eventually.
Read-alikes: Give to fans of Wimpy Kid and the like. Or kids with braces. Book 2 (M is for Mama's Boy) available now.