2nd Installment of Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls

The second book in the series, Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls, written by Meg Cabot, will be released this September. It is called The New Girl. It deals with Allie's transition into her new school, after her family has moved to a new part of town.

I read and reviewed the first book, Moving Day, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought it would really appeal to girls, especially those in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. The same is true for The New Girl -- very appealing! Like any reader, I found myself far more comfortable with the characters in the 2nd book of the series, plus I was even familiar with the settings. If I felt like this as an experienced reader, think how much support it would give to younger readers we know.

The New Girl has many elements that were enjoyable:
- the dilemma of what to wear the first day of school (would a plaid skirt over jeans be the right choice, and why does her brother choose a pirate outfit for his first day in kindergarten?!)
- will the other 4th graders like Allie?
- what do you do when the tough girl in the class says she is going to beat you up (do you listen to your dad and punch her out, or try to intimidate her like your uncle suggests?)
- being one of the finalists in a spelling bee when you know you're a bad speller (Allie loves animals and can spell anything relating to them, but otherwise, she hasn't a clue)
- having your parents and grandma show up for the spelling bee during the day when no other students' families came
- preparing for your first ever pet
- figuring out what to eat when your stove or oven won't be delivered until the end of the month (how many Hot Pockets can one family eat?)
- getting along with Grandma who is visiting for a week but orders lobster for dinner at Red Lobster (Allie is an animal lover, and can't stand the idea of one of the lobsters from the tank in the lobby being used for Grandma's dinner)
- a final showdown with the bully who has made your life miserable (will Allie take the observant custodian's advice on this?)

I was glad to see Cabot stayed true to having each chapter start with a rule Allie needs to think about. She also uses a favorite technique I use (and probably overuse) in my own writing - (parenthesises). Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls is a fun series, and this second book, The New Girl was enjoyable reading!