Young Adult Book Fun

Title: Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson

Author: Louise Rennison

Publishing: HarperTeen (April 10, 2001)

ISBN: 978-0064472272

Grade Level: 7-10

Awards: Printz Award Honor Book

Summary: 14-year-old Georgia deals with sex gods, homicidal cats and kissing instructors while trying to make it though the year at her girl’s school.

Comments: Angus is typical teen chick-lit and like Seinfield is ultimately a book about nothing. At it’s core it is a slice of life story, but don’t expect there to be any realizations about the self or life in general. This is purely unrealistic anecdote after unrealistic anecdote written to be humorous.

The first installment in a series the book most resembles Meg Cabot’s Princess Diary series in form with a bit more information in British slang – there’s a glossary.

The book really has no use in the classroom, but will interest girls whom you suspect to have home subscriptions for Teen Vogue and steal their Mom’s Cosmopolitans to do the naughty quizzes with their friends.

Though it won a Printz award it remains to be seen why. There are also less than favorable depictions of lesbians that border on vicious stereotyping. Without any literary merit to support it, a prudent school librarian might steer clear, especially if there are other similar books to choose from.

Georgia Performance Standards:

ELA7RC1 The student reads a minimum of 25 grade-level appropriate books or book equivalents (approximately 1,000,000 words) per year from a variety of subject disciplines. The student reads both informational and fictional texts in a variety of genres and modes of discourse, including technical texts related to various subject areas.

ELA8RC1 The student reads a minimum of 25 grade-level appropriate books or book equivalents (approximately 1,000,000 words) per year from a variety of subject disciplines. The student reads both informational and fictional texts in a variety of genres and modes of discourse, including technical texts related to various subject areas.

ELA9RC1 The student reads a minimum of 25 grade-level appropriate books or book equivalents (approximately 1,000,000 words) per year from a variety of subject disciplines. The student reads both informational and fictional texts in a variety of genres and modes of discourse, including technical texts related to various subject areas.

Extensions:

• Have students disucss the characterization of the girls in Angus. If this book were a historical document what would you surmise about the teenage British girl of the new century?
• Have students create an alternate ending in which Georgia moves to New Zealand.