About this item
Popularity: who has it, who wants it, and who won't get it is the topic of this story about two middle school friends who want to make the lives of their classmates more equitable, to disastrous results. Middle school isn't a popularity contest. It's a war. Perry and her best friend, Venice, are excited to be yearbook photographers and tell the story of their school through their art. But that's before they find out the truth: the spontaneous moments they're supposed to capture are all faked. Bossy eighth grader Anya gives them a list of the popular kids - her own friends - who Perry and Venice have to take pictures of. And that makes Perry super mad. Yearbooks should include everybody - even the dorks. But Perry feels totally stuck. Until she starts taking flattering shots of the people on Anya's list, none of her candids will ever be chosen.
About the Author
Kristen Tracy grew up in a small town in Idaho, near Yellowstone Park, where she learned a tremendous amount about bears. Her deep curiosity in all things, a love of language, and her desire to eat less potatoes led her to exit Idaho and earn an M.A. in American Literature, an M.F.A. in poetry, and a Ph.D. in English. Her poetry manuscript, Half-Hazard, earned the prestigious Emily Dickinson First Book Award from the Poetry Foundation, and her poems have appeared in dozens of literary journals including the New Yorker, Poetry Magazine, and Southern Review. She writes board books, picture books, middle-grade novels, and Young Adult books. At one time in her life she was a college professor and aerobics instructor. At another time she was a volunteer gardener on Alcatraz and aspiring bird docent. Now she makes her home in Los Angeles with her husband Brian Evenson and their young son. If you ever go hiking with Kristen, please be aware she attracts seriously injured birds, apex predators, and large, nonvenomous snakes.
