The Clique

Lembeck, M. (2008). The Clique. DVD, Warner Home Video.

ASIN: B001H1I8KK
$27.98

Viewer's Annotation: Claire and Massie struggle to share the same house, school and friends.

Summary: Following the same basic plot as the first book of the Clique series by Lisi Harrison, the DVD begins with Claire moving into Massie's parent's guest house. Massie is the leader of the most popular clique at her school and Claire lacks the popularity prowess to keep up. Massie treats Claire badly and Claire eventually stoops pretty low to get her back. By the end, each has been kinder to the other than they might have thought possible.

Genre: movie, popularity, friends, new school, family, fiction,

Series : So far, only the first book of the series has been made into a movie.

Evaluation: An enjoyable flick, but not as good as the book.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: The Clique books are huge and though their content isn't enlightening or redeeming, a tween librarian will want to have them on the shelves. The same can be said of the movie version.

Watchalikes :

• Mean Girls
  
• High School Musical
  

Other Useful Info:

• Clique Movie Website
• Trailer:

Reviews:
from Amazon:

Amazon.com
Based on the popular The Clique Book series by Lisi Harrison, The Clique is an entertaining, if somewhat familiar film about a 12-year-old girl whose need to fit in threatens to overshadow her inherent sense of self. Massie (Elizabeth McLaughlin) is the undisputed leader of a clique dubbed "The Pretty Committee" and she and her fellow clique-mates Alicia, Dylan, and Kristen are completely obsessed by high fashion and being the most popular girls in the exclusive Octavian Country Day School for girls. Florida transplant Claire Lyons (Ellen Marlow) is the ultimate in fashion don'ts and when she moves into Massie's guest house and enrolls in her school, it quickly becomes apparent that Massie will stop at nothing to prove her own superiority and make Claire's life miserable. Claire wants nothing more than to fit in and be accepted at her new school, so when befriending Massie doesn't work, she turns to scheming and playing the four friends against one another in an effort to supersede Massie as the queen of popularity. The problem is, Claire's efforts to displace Massie have some very negative effects on Alicia, Dylan, Kristen, her relationship with her mother, and even Claire's ability to like herself. In the end, Claire realizes the importance of being true to oneself and there's the slightest glimmer of hope that even Massie might just consider changing her ways--or not. Something of a The Devil Wears Prada for kids meets Mean Girls, The Clique is a surprisingly likeable film that features a scrumptious palate of tween-sized high couture; healthy doses of insecurity, attitude, and angst; good acting; and an important message about believing in oneself. Bonus features include a featurette on casting the movie with executive producer Tyra Banks and director Michael Lembeck, interviews with the main characters and author Lisi Harrison, a 9-minute exploration of tween couture with Tyra Banks, casting contest winners, gag reel, and Clique Girlz in the studio recording "Here With Me Now." (Ages 7 to 14) --

So Totally Emily Ebbers by Lisa Yee

Yee, L. (2007). So Totally Emily Ebers. (p. 304). Arthur A. Levine Books.

ISBN:0439838479

Price :$16.99 hardback

Reader's Annotation: Emily makes friends at her new school, some of whom are worth keeping, and others that aren't so great.

Summary: Everything is new in Emily's life. She and her mom have moved across country, without her dad. She's started volleyball, which she wasn't at all interested in. Her dad sent her a credit card, for "emergency uses." With her new-found spending power, Emily's making new friends at her school, but she's also getting into trouble with her card. There is a girl on her volleyball team, Millicent, who also doesn't want to be there, and she might be a good friend, but she sure has some secrets. And then there is Stanford Wong, a cute boy who catches Emily's eye. All in all, life is turned around for Emily, but maybe, maybe something good will come out of it.

Genre: book, family, friends, fiction, identity, new school, popularity, series

Series : This book is part of a trilogy. The other two books are Millicent Min Girl Genius and Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time. All three stories retell the same events from the perspectives of each character, so they can be read in any order.

Evaluation: This is a great choice for tweens. Emily is a perfect example of tweendom, sometimes shockingly wise, and other times glaringly dense.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: New school drama, popularity concerns, crushes, and plenty of fashion talk make this a tween staple. Two things I liked about Emily: 1) everyone admits she has a great sense of style, but she's not instantly popular for it. 2) She talks about wearing a double digit dress size, and she's fine with it. Great role model.

Readalikes :

• A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
  
• Allie Finkel's Rules for Girls books by Meg Cabot
  

Other Useful Info:

• Lisa Yee's Website

Reviews:
From School Library Journal
Grade 5–7—It's Emily Ebers's turn to tell about the summer she meets Millicent Min and Stanford Wong, each of whom has charmed readers in earlier books. Emily, who is effervescent and enthusiastic, has her own story to tell. She's just moved to Rancho Rosetta, CA, from New Jersey after her parents' divorce. She directs a lot of anger and unhappiness against her mom, who is also reeling from the change. She writes down her thoughts and feelings in a journal for her dad, who is on the road with a revival tour of his old rock band and has sent the 12-year-old a credit card for her birthday. Emily befriends Millicent at a girls' summer volleyball league where they're the worst players. The rapport between the girls is delightful, as Millie shares her idiosyncratic take on her hometown. Emily meets Stanford and assumes that he is tutoring Millie. When she finds out that her new friends have misled her about the situation, her disappointment is palpable. As in Millicent Min, Girl Genius (2003) and Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time (2005, both Scholastic), family is vitally important. In the end, Emily patches things up with her mom and realizes that some changes can be good, even though they may not work out as expected. It's a good message for preteens, as is Emily's insistence on treating others with kindness. Although this book stands on its own, kids will get more pleasure if they read the other two first. With a baby sister on the way for Millicent Min, dare we hope for another sequel?—Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA

Discovery Girls

Discovery Girls. Discovery Girls Inc.

ISSN:1535-3230

Price :$27.00 for 6 issues/year

Reader's Annotation: Discovery Girls is created by and for girls ages 7-12.

Summary: Discovery Girls has articles about middle school, friends, celebrities, hairstyles, contests, quizzes and advice columns. Much of the content is informative and education, but there are also some articles about fashion trends and celebrities. Each issue features "Discovery Girls" from a particular state. This is a diverse group of girls that have been selected to help develop the content of the issue and have a photo shoot adventure with the magazine's adult staff.

Genre: magazine, friends, family, identity, siblings, popularity

Series : This magazine is published by the Discovery group folks.

Evaluation: A solid choice for tween readers, I actually enjoyed it more than American Girl, just because when I sit down with a magazine, I do like a few hairstyling tips. They could put hairstyling tips in National Geographic, and I'd think the magazine was better for it.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: This is a magazine that tweens enjoy reading. It has some info on Miley Cyrus mixed in with book reviews and suggestions on volunteering in your community. It's a good compromise for parents and tween girls.

Readalikes :

• New Moon
  
• American Girls
  

Other Useful Info:

• Discovery Girs Website

Reviews:

--

The Clique by Lisi Harrison

Harrison, L. (2004). The Clique. (p. 220). Poppy.

ISBN:0316155772

Price :$9.99 paperback

Reader's Annotation: Claire moves to a new fancy school and has trouble fitting in, especial when super-popular Massie decides to make her life miserable.

Summary: When Claire Lyons and her family move from Florida to New York, they move into the guest house of a good friend of Mr. Lyons until they get settled. It's also the home of Massie Block, the alpha girl in the most popular clique at Octavian County Day school. Because Claire and Massie are both in seventh grade, their parents assume they will be good friends. Massie has no tolerance for Claire's lack of fashion sense, and is determined to make her life miserable. With the help of the other members of her clique, Massie sets to work. Claire is overwhelmed, but determined to get on Massie's good side.

Genre: book, fiction, friends, new school, identity, series, popularity

Series : This book is the first of the Clique series, which currently has 14 titles, including the Clique Summer books.

Evaluation: Surprisingly enjoyable. Obviously full of shallow characters and questionable morals, but these books are hard to put down, and even if I'm mad at the characters, I find myself getting on the hold list for the next installment.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: These books are wildly popular, and the concientious tween librarian will probably get multiple copies to keep wait lists down. Though the characters are shallow and frequently mean to one another, the books are still compelling, because they are fun.

Readalikes :

• The Girls by Amy Goldman Kloss
  
• Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
  

Other Useful Info:

• The Clique Website

Reviews:
from Teenreads.com

Rich girl Massie is ticked off. She's missing out on her friends' Labor Day shopping spree and spa visit, because her father's friend is moving into their guesthouse with his family. Just because their daughter, Claire, is starting seventh grade at Massie's school, Massie is expected to pal around with her. Never mind that the new girl is a loser in old Keds and overalls who will never fit into Massie's tight circle. So that friend thing? It's never going to happen.

Meanwhile, Claire is nervous. Westchester, New York seems like a new planet compared to Orlando, Florida. And Massie and her friends are the opposite of welcoming. At school, Claire finds all the students dressed identically, and expensively. Massie's group is all about designer wear --- a whole new concept for Claire.

Massie's friends do a number on Claire, including viciously sneaking dabs of red paint onto the back of Claire's white jeans. When Claire's embarrassed male teacher sends her directly to the nurse's office, Massie's friends give her the wrong directions, sending her bumbling into the photography class darkroom.

The clique continues in its unrelentingly cruel tricks on Claire. Claire, however, earns a certain secret grudging respect by handling the harassment with graceful pride. Massie would never admit it to anyone, but she starts to feel a tiny magnetic pull to the new girl, and even feels the slightest twinge of remorse at the way she and her friends treat her. That doesn't change their behavior, though.

In the meantime, Claire wishes deep down that Massie and her pals could be her friends. Instead, she buddies up with fun and funny Layne, who is also not A-list. That friendship ends, though, when Massie steals Claire's new (and only) friend.

Claire enjoys the rare occasions when she is accepted into Massie's group, but she inevitably pays for the pleasure by being targeted with mean pranks by them afterward. Claire's grace under pressure finally cracks, and she deals Massie some payback, sinking low for revenge.

THE CLIQUE is a fun, fast read. The girls slowly reveal that they are more than the cardboard characters they appear to be. Claire is classy and intelligent, but occasionally shows some lapses in judgment. Massie and her friends gradually let slip intriguing hints that they are not quite the shallow monsters they seem.

Any girl who has struggled with wanting to fit in will no doubt gobble this book down, while eagerly reaching for the next one in the series. What will happen next with Claire and Massie? Stay tuned.