Queen of Cool Book

The author of BOY PROOF is back with a funny, incisive look at a teenage girl whose reign of popularity comes at the price of ennui - until she dares to take off her tiara and do something truly cool with her life.

On the outside, Libby Brin is the most popular girl in school. She has the coolest friends, the hottest boyfriend, the trendiest clothes, and the hippest parents. But on the inside, Libby is dying - of boredom. In a moment of desperation, Libby signs up for an internship at the L.A. Zoo, much to the dismay of her friends, who'd prefer she spend her time with them, shopping, partying, and making fun of everyone else. To Libby, the zoo gig seems like something, anything, different to do, even if it means she has to work with two nerds - Tina (aka "Tiny"), a little person and aspiring actress, and Sheldon, an introverted boy with a brilliant, inquiring mind. But what happens when Libby realizes she actually enjoys working at the zoo and may even like Tina and Sheldon? Will the QUEEN OF COOL be forced to give up her crown?

Wendy M. Smith-D'Arezzo - Children's Literature

Are you looking for a book that debunks the myth that popularity is all you need to succeed in life? Do you wish that, finally, being cool would not be equated with having it all? Look no further. Castellucci gives you Libby, the coolest chick in the school. She is the girl who can start trends while walking out of the school cafeteria, even when she is no longer into starting trends. Libby suddenly realizes that her life is meaningless; all the alcohol, sex, and drugs are getting her nowhere, but she is not sure how to change. When she decides to try an internship at the Los Angeles County Zoo, she is not sure if she is crazy to try it, or if she is trying it because she is crazy. She goes ahead and tries, and is surprised to find that she likes it. Libby even likes the dweebs—Tiny, the dwarf, and Sheldon, the epitome of a high school dork, treat Libby like a real person in spite of her high coolness factor. While Libby is busy changing her life, her dad, a successful advertising executive, begins to reexamine his own life, quitting his job and sitting around the house jamming on his guitar. The juxtaposition of both father and daughter rebelling against the box they find themselves in due to their own mistakes is a little too coincidental, trivializing what Libby has learned about her own life. The language and explicit sex in this book make it controversial, but will also add to its appeal for older readers. 2006, Candlewick Press, Ages 16 to 18.