All American Girl by Meg Cabot

Year Published: 2002
Publisher: HarperColins
ISBN: 0061479896
Pages: 398
Classification: Fiction
Media Format: Book
Interest Level: 7-12
Reading Level: 5
Subjects: School stories, High schools, Washington (D.C), Interpersonal relations, Heroes, President, Fiction

Reader's Annotation: A sophomore girl stops a presidential assassination attempt, is appointed Teen Ambassador to the United Nations, and catches the eye of the very cute First Son.

Summary: While waiting for her ride home from an after-school art class, Samantha Madison, a sophomore at John Adams Preparatory School in Washington, DC, inadvertently saves the President's life by jumping on the back of a would-be assassin. Suddenly, she is a celebrity, invited to the White House for dinner, named the teen ambassador to the U.N., and revered by her fellow classmates. Yet, even her new star status doesn't allow her to get what she really wants-a date with her sister's boyfriend, Jack. Hoping to make him jealous, she asks out the President's son. The plan backfires, but Samantha discovers who she really is in the process. Cabot uses vision as a metaphor for how a budding artist grows to "see" herself and others more clearly. The first-person narrative contains Samantha's top-10 lists between chapters, adding to the hilarious plot. The setting is used to interject a few historical facts about the White House and its former residents without intruding on the entertaining story. Readers will enjoy Samantha's interactions with the other delightful characters, especially her sisters. Cabot fully understands teens, their language, and their world. There are at least 10 reasons why libraries will want to own this book, but the most important one is that it simply will not stay on the shelves.-Linda L. Plevak, Saint Mary's Hall, San Antonio, TX Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.


Personal Notes:

Reviews and Awards: ALA Booklist, ALA/YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, School Library Journal, Starred Review for Publishers Weekly, Voice of Youth Advocates, Wilson's Junior High Catalog

Author Information: Meg Cabot was born February 1, 1967 in Bloomington, Indiana. She was educated at Indiana University and once worked as an assistant manager in an undergraduate dormitory. The author enjoys watching TV, walking, and writing. While writing, Cabot enjoys listening to "really loud" rock music. She also writes under the names Jenny Carroll, Meggin Cabot, and Patricia Cabot. Her husband, Benjamin, is a poet.

Author website: www.megcabot.com