Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek by Maya Van Wagenen

1. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA

Wagenen, Maya Van. Popular a Memoir: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek. New York: Dutton Juvenile, 2014. Print.


2. PLOT SUMMARY

Maya is about to start her eighth grade year at the bottom of the social ladder. After receiving a book written by 1950's model Betty Cornell, Maya decides to follow the archaic advice for popularity to see if it applies in today's world.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The memoir is so well written that I would forget that the words were written by someone in their youth. Young adults and middle school children will relate the comedic voice of the author. Maya Van Wagenen is a talented writer that carefully tracked her experiment in popularity. Maya bravely decided to test the limits of middle school by seeing if advice from 60 years ago can make her popular today. There were times that I had to remind myself that Maya is real. She is so kind and fearless in her adventures.  She walks into with weird hair and strange outfits. I could not have been so brave when I was in middle school. I believe that many readers will be able to understand the need to become popular. Although much of the advice in the book did not make her popular, the change she made within herself did change our others viewed her. Maya concentrated on a different chapter a month and tracked if her popularity was any different.
The book is unique because it is a book for middle schoolers written by a middle schooler. The book contains real feelings and real situations. The book connects best with middle schoolers, but I believe that anyone of any age can enjoy this book. You will remember the terror of middle school and the need to fit in. As an adult, I found myself wanting to try many of the techniques that Maya tried. I also dusted off my own pearl necklace and found that it does go well with every outfit. Thank you Betty Cornell!


4. CREATIVE ACTIVITY

Jefferson County Public School system released a lesson plan for middle school teachers called Teaching Students To Read & Write A Memoir. This unit combines a group of lessons designed to teach students the skills and strategies involved in writing a memoir and reading a variety of literary works. The unit was designed for middle school students, but lessons can easily be adapted for use with younger or older students. Check it out!


5. RELATED RESOURCES

This video shares the author's experiences with her experiment. Maya Van Wagenen is on a news station talking about her novel.

• "Maya Van Wagenen: Living like a girl in the 50's." YouTube. N.p., 15 May 2014. Web. 22 July 2017. <https://youtu.be/A17Cl86e79s>.

Teenager Maya Van Wagenen has landed a film deal with Steven Spielberg after he bought the rights to her diary.

• "Steven Spielberg signs teen 'geek' for diary film." YouTube. N.p., 17 May 2014. Web. 22 July 2017. <https://youtu.be/JxeMTvU7ltU>.

Check out the book poster that I created for this book. Find it here.

6. PUBLISHED REVIEW

This is a Kirkus Review over Popular. Find it here.

• Wagenen, Maya Van. "POPULAR by Maya Van Wagenen." Kirkus Reviews. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2017. <https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/maya-van-wagenen/popular-vanwagenen/>.