How to Be Popular

How to Be Popular
Author(s)
Age Range
12+
Release Date
August 01, 2006
ISBN
0060880120
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Do you want to be popular?

Everyone wants to be popular or at least, Stephanie Landry does. Steph's been the least popular girl in her class since a certain cherry Super Big Gulp catastrophe five years earlier.

Does being popular matter?

It matters very much to Steph. That's why this year, she has a plan to get in with the It Crowd in no time flat. She's got a secret weapon: an old book called what else? "How to Be Popular."

What does it take to be popular?

All Steph has to do is follow the instructions in The Book, and soon she'll be partying with the It Crowd (including school quarterback Mark Finley) instead of sitting on The Hill Saturday nights, stargazing with her nerdy best pal Becca, and even nerdier Jason (now kind of hot, but still), whose passion for astronomy Steph once shared.

Who needs red dwarves when you're invited to the hottest parties in town?

But don't forget the most important thing about popularity

It's easy to become popular. What isn't so easy? Staying that way.

Editor reviews

2 reviews
It's not how you look
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When sixteen-year-old Steph Landry finds an old book on how to be popular, she knows it's her chance to get back in with the cool crowd and to finally get Mark Finley, the hottest boy in school, to notice her, so she gives her attitude a makeover and starts getting involved in social activities. All of a sudden, everyone loves her!--at least, everyone but queen bee Lauren Moffat, who's had it in for Steph for years, and Steph's two oldest buddies, Jason and Becca, who can't understand why she would want to be accepted by the phony popular set. When she has to choose between disappointing her new pals and letting down her old ones, Steph realizes in some unexpected ways that if you're true to yourself, you'll always have friends.


Meg Cabot's natural, humorous style makes How to be Popular an entertaining, and, yes, romantic, read, but this novel isn't just fluff--it thoroughly examines the question of whether popularity comes from the outside or the inside. Instead of perpetuating the consumerist message of so many recent young adult novels by focusing on the trendiest brands of clothing and accessories that teens can wear to make people admire them, Cabot takes the position that personality matters above all, urging the younger generation to be genuine, friendly and dependable and to treat everyone with respect. With skilled writing and such a positive message, this story will please readers and parents alike.

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Funny-yet true- and very enjoyable.
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4.0
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Reader reviewed by Carolinee

This book was very funny, as expected of Meg Cabot!
It starts off a little slow and boring at first, but once you get through mid-begguining, things start to get very exciting.
This book had me laughing nearly the whole way through, and the advice isnt so bad either. Its a great teen novel and I definitley reccomend it to all the teen girls out there. This title may seem a little fishy, but the story line is very honest and very true (and a little cliche as well)
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How to enjoy reading!
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Reader reviewed by Randi

Meg Cabot is amazing at expressing what it really takes to be liked. Being popular dosnt come from wanting to be popular or dressing right or doing your hair amazing. Being noticed is about being notced byt the ones who matter. So if you are yourself and a genuily good person how's nice yu can't help but make friends, and for the character is this book and amazing boyfriend!
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Amazing
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Reader reviewed by Alexis

I think that Meg Cabot did it again.  THis book tells the story  of a teenage girl who is on the botttom of the food chain.  Her best friends start to notice changes and then soon the whole school notices.  I would reccommend this book to girls who like Gossip Girl, The A List, Meg Cabot books or Sarah Dessen Books. Enjoy Reading!
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amazing!
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Reader reviewed by britt j.

this book was totally awesome! ive read it twice, & i never get bored of it.
the cover of this book is really a cool design, & its by meg cabot, one of my favorite authors.
jason is such a great characheter, & he was perfect for the main girl, but i cant remember her name! ughh..!
but i remember the whole, spying on jason through his window thing.
and the wedding, & the book.
its weird how it came from jasons grandma! lol. but um..i knew ppl would turn against her if she became snotty, but they forgave her, & i loved it!
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Being popular is not all that matters...
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Reader reviewed by lia

Everyone wants to be popularor at least, Stephanie Landry does. Stephs been the least popular girl in her class since a certain cherry Super Big Gulp catastrophe five years earlier.
It matters very muchto Steph. Thats why this year, she has a plan to get in with the It Crowd in no time flat. Shes got a secret weapon: An old book calledwhat else?How to Be Popular.
Its easy to become popular. What isnt so easy? Staying that way , plus beng popular does have some consecuenses because she does not anticipate Lauren being so angry about her attempt to join the popular crowd or that Jason(her best friend)would be so hurt that she is leaving him behind.

Popularity dosent really matters....What is more important and really matter are your friends...true friends like Jason.
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The life lesson: friends are way more valuable than popularity... and staying true to yourself is what matters, not the parties or the fun.
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Reader reviewed by Catalina

How to be popular is a book that shows us Steph, an unpopular girl who wishes by all means to be "liked be people", which, translated into a highschool-vocabulary, is to be POPULAR. And to put her plan into action, she uses a book that guides her step by step thorugh the process: it teaches her what is required to be popular.
Steph follows the instructions and begins succesfully to escale the social stairs, but not without some people disagreeing - some of them friends of her, and some of them her mortal enemies -, though she doesn't pay much attention to them.
So, will she understand that being popular isn't the imporant thing, but that "being liked" by just the right people is what she has to be looking for? And, maybe, if she stays true to herself, love can be in her way.
I loved this book. It was one of those which, somehow, "calls" you when you're not reading it, and, until you have it in your hands, you're not calm. I highly reccomend it to girls ages 14 and up.
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Meg is a Genius!
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Reader reviewed by Hillay Krajewski

Steph Landry is tired of being unpopular. Ever since she dropped her Red Super Big Gulp on Lauren Moffat's D&G skirt in middle school. Since then, people have been making fun of her. And she's had enough.

Then she finds The Book in her soon to be grandmother's and attic. The key to her popularity. This book will teach her everything. But the only thing harder then becoming popular is staying there.

This was a fabulous book. I had never read a Meg Cabot book before but I was very pleased. I will definitely read some more of her books. (I think I'm getting Airhead actually but I'm not sure!) The characters were like real people. Meg is an awesome author. The book was full of humor and creativity. It's definitely not one of those books where you read it and think didn't I read this already? and then you're like wait, no that was that other book that I read. And you get totally bored with it and end up giving it to some random kid on the street because you're like, here, you can have it I've already read another book just like it and then that kid goes and sticks gum and mud in it because that's a fun thing to do with bad and unoriginal books because then people can't read the words anymore.

This was a great book and I'm sure 11/12 people in the world have already read this but if you haven't (or if you're like me and boycott really popular books/authors until you get a free copy) then you should read it...like now, because it's worthy of being read. And if you decide to go to the bookstore to buy it then you're awesome because the bookstore is the best place in the entire world.
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Same o Same o
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Reader reviewed by rachpaige11

How to be popular, it was an okay book. I liked it but it was just the same, girl has crush on popular boy, tries to get him and fails, or conquers, then realizes she is in love with her best friend. Happily ever after! That doesn't mean it's bad, it just means that its clich'ed, though I must say it is at least a little bit different. I will say I liked it.

Steph Landry has spent her whole life (well since six grade, but who remembers life before then) unpopular, taking insults from queen bee Lauren Moffat, who coined the phrase, " Way to pull a steph landry", without standing up for herself. She spends her days with best friend Jason ( who is hot after a summer abroad, but still an outcast), and Becca ( also known as the dumb farm girl though she isn't dumb and doesn't own a farm anymore). While helping clear Jason's grandma's attic she comes across a book, " How to be Popular". She decides to take back her name, and Lauren's boyfriend Mark's heart with it.

If you like these predictible girly " girl gets the boy" books,well I would recommend it. It was actually pretty good despite all my cynicism.
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dealing with school issues
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Reader reviewed by Ashley

A really good book that I have recently read was How to be Popular by Meg Cabot. This is one of Meg Cabot best books. The title is strange but the plot is a good. It is directed more toward girls than to guys. The book is about a girl named Stephanie Landry in her junior year of high school. At the begging of the book, Steph is teased about spilling a cherry Super Big Gulp, which is like an iced flavored drink on a popular girl in her grade when they were in sixth grade. Steph finds a book that will help her make or brake her way to popularity. Throughout this book, Steph has some twist and turns that help her discover who she really is. Steph learns important moral lessons while rising and eventually falling from popularity. If you want a laid back kind of book than you should defiantly read this.
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Popularity anyone?
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Reader reviewed by Lauren

This book was good. It was from the perspective of a teenage girl, wanting to get in with the in crowd. This book had the step by step instructions on how to rise to popularity in high school. Be social, attend parties, be cool. All the tips you needed to be popular, but will it work? Read the book and find out!!!
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