DIARY OF A WOULD-BE PRINCESS

To be popular with the “princesses” in her Australian elementary school is not Jillian’s destiny, especially with King-Nerd Nigel and the rest of the “misfits” tagging along. Then to top it off, her teacher reads her daily journal and makes unexpected suggestions about her writing skills—isn’t a diary private?—and unexpected commentary about her life—is there no end to mortification? To be in the thick of things, Jillian tries to be lovely and smart, and then as the pièce de résistance, organizes a party and invites everyone. When even that isn’t enough, she refocuses her life to help that rag-tag group who’ve become her bosom buds with what she can do—read and write, and infect their life with excitement. In the middle of her efforts, her own writing grows from a stunted ramble to the heartfelt record of her fifth year at Flora Heights Primary School. There she exemplifies to her true friends how to handle being chosen last in sports, and “the slings and arrows” of life, with grace. Green injects plenty of humor and turns Jillian’s diary into a meaningful creative training ground for winning a prestigious speaking competition, as well as a turning point for the future of those less able. The writing is lively and fun, a humorous adventure in growing up among Australian schoolmates, family and friends. A mighty inspiring debut. (Fiction. 10-12)