THE MEANEST GIRL

Popular and a good student, sixth-grader Alyssa thought she had life all figured out. Then along comes stuff that tests her, like falling for her English teacher, trying to guess why best friend Chelsea is being so weird and what’s up with her girls’ club. The worst, though, is the new girl in town who seems to be usurping Chelsea’s attention, who delights in tormenting Alyssa for no reason she can see and whom Alyssa is convinced played a nasty prank on her. All sorts of struggles come to Alyssa’s fore, including a startling revelation about her dad and the thought that maybe she, not the new girl, is becoming the meanest girl around. The ending is happy and satisfying, though some plot lines are tied up too quickly. Allie has a keen grasp on real kids’ speech and behavior, and preteen girls should eat this up. (Fiction. 10-12)