Too Cool for This School by Kristen Tracy (review)
Buy Issue for $25 at JHUP- Too Cool for This School by Kristen Tracy
Lane has it made: she's got popular friends, a cute possible boyfriend, and the honor of being chosen sixth-grade captain, which is an entrée to a secret world of upperclassmen. Her perfect life hits an obstacle when her same-age cousin, Mint, comes to stay for a month and joins Lane at school. Despite Lane's generosity in explaining all the rules of middle school to Mint, Mint persists in being an individual ("She should have been thankful I was trying to help her"). Though Lane and her friends initially fear that Mint's behavior will sink their own popularity, what happens is even worse: quirky, outgoing Mint eclipses them completely, winning the heart of the boy Lane's best friend adores and the attention of Lane's fellow grade captains. Tracy's snappy, intelligent prose manages the delicate feat of allowing Lane a truthful narration ("I did stuff the way you were supposed to do stuff in order to live a fantastic life") while making clear that her viewpoint is colored by selfishness and jealousy, demonstrating the disastrous effects of the crossroads of anxiety and ego. This is also a particularly fine outing for demonstrating the way mean-girling can swiftly gather speed as Lane manages to rationalize some horrible behavior and, in loyalty to her ousted friend, makes only the feeblest resistance to a plan that would leave Mint with an undeserved criminal record. Lane's perspective makes this an excellent title for language arts use, and it could be a productive entry in a book club for a discussion of perspective and the way we're all the good guys in our own lives.
