Popularity Papers Books 2 & 3 (mg)
(Book 2) The Long-Distance Dispatch between Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang by Amy Ignatow. 205 p. Harry N. Abrams/ Amulet Books, March, 2011.
(Book 3) Words of (Questionable) Wisdom from Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang by Amy Ignatow. 208 p. Harry N. Abrams/ Amulet Books, October, 2011.
(Both copies purchased.)
The fun continues in this collaborative scrap book even though I don't get how the scrap booking continued with an ocean between the two friends bent on popularity. In book 2, Lydia's mom accepts a temporary transfer to London, England a few weeks shy of the friends' momentous start in middle school. In England, Lydia puts her martial arts training to good use to defend a kid agains bullies, thereby earning herself the reputation as "the violent American." Meanwhile, Julie finds herself next to an eighth grade alpha girl who heads a posse known as the Bichons. They adopt her and make Julie a step and fetch it.
In book 3, Lydia is home and a tragedy causes the two friends to create a "bucket list," in which they strive to do good deeds. The good deeds go horribly wrong and the girls end up being resented, but deal with the disasters large and small in their inimitable way. Sure to please fans of Popularity Papers 1 and wimpy kid type books. These are a step or two above the average wimp appeal book in that the art work is colorful and clever and the heroines have a high like-ability factor and are basically decent.