Rachel Renee Russell is a lawyer who prefers writing children's books to legal briefs (mainly because books are a lot more fun and pyjamas and bunny slippers aren't allowed in court). She has raised two daughters and lived to tell about it. Rachel lives in northern Virginia with a spoiled pet Yorkie who terrorises her daily by climing on top of her computer and pelting her with stuffed animals while she writes. And, yes, Rachel considers herself a total Dork.
Gr 5-8-Nikki Maxwell, self-professed dork and aspiring artist, has plenty of problems starting at a brand new private middle school in this tale (Aladdin, 2009) by Rachel Renee Russell. Her locker is right next to MacKenzie, the queen of mean girls; she can hardly speak around her crush Brandon; and she is desperate to hide the fact that she is attending on scholarship because her father is the school's exterminator. Chronicling her middle school highs and lows in a diary, Nikki includes all the humorous as well as embarrassing details. Lana Quintal is well-cast to voice the first title in this popular series. Her youthful voice is a match for Nikki's personality, providing authenticity for her observations and emotions. Her tone is appropriately cliched for MacKenzie, Nikki's nemesis and the most popular girl in school. Listeners will laugh even as they identify with Nikki's insecurities and her struggles to fit. The CD also includes a video interview with the author.-Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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