Am I the Princess or the Frog?

Reach for this book when your child is grappling with the intense social hierarchies of middle school or feeling the first stings of unrequited crushes. It is an ideal choice for the pre-teen who uses humor and sarcasm as a shield against the awkwardness of growing up and the pressure to be popular. Jamie Kelly's diary entries provide a safe, laugh-out-loud space for children to process feelings of jealousy and social inadequacy without being lectured. The story follows Jamie as she navigates a messy web of middle school attraction, specifically her crush on Hudson and her disdain for her rival, the beautiful Princess Turd of Turdsylvania. Through Jamie's exaggerated and often biased lens, the book explores how we compare ourselves to others and the hilarity that ensues when we realize that everyone, even the prettiest girl in school, has their own quirks. It is a lighthearted, realistic fiction choice that normalizes the 'ugly' feelings of adolescence like pettiness and frustration, ultimately offering a relatable mirror for the middle school experience.