Module 15: (December 6-9)Rennison, L. (1999). Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging. New York, NY: Harper Collins Children's Books.
Summary: Georgia Nicolson is your average 14-year-old girl, who must balance school, family, friends, frenemies, boys, and hormones as she grows up in her seaside British town. Besides that, she thinks her nose is HUGE, and wonders desperately what it is like to be snogged, or kissed. Through her diary entries we follow along as she plays school pranks, tries to keep her wild cat, Angus, from eating the neighbor’s poodle, and meets a Sex God, aka 17-year-old Robbie. Meanwhile, her dad wants the family to move to New Zealand, her little sister keeps peeing in her (Georgia’s) bed, and her best friend is in love with Robbie’s brother. How will everything work out? Does Georgia get the guy? Will they move to New Zealand? How long does that poodle have to live?
My Impressions: I always meant to read this series when I was younger, but I somehow missed out on it. If I had read it back in middle school or high school, I would have found Georgia so relatable and fascinating. This first book was hilarious (especially the glossary at the end), and I didn’t find the content or language too unsurprising for the most part. I was just about Georgia’s age when these books first came out, so I can attest that we were thinking a lot of the same things as she and her friends! Perhaps those seeking to censor it aren’t completely aware of how modern day teens think, talk, or act.
Reviews: “Although performer and comedy writer Rennison clearly owes a large debt to Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary (1998), her Georgia is a wonderful character whose misadventures are not only hysterically funny but universally recognizable. This "fabbity, fab, fab" novel will leave readers cheering, "Long live the teen!" and anxiously awaiting the promised sequel.”Michael Cart, Booklist*
“British writer Rennison's subject matter may be the stuff of Bridget Jones's Diary, but the wit and bite of her delivery shares more in common with Monty Python. In a spectacular YA debut (Rennison is a comedy writer and columnist), the author creates a winning protagonist in the persona of 14-year-old Georgia Nicolson, whose wry observations and self-deprecating humor covers everything from prudish parents and bed-wetting three-year-old siblings to errant cat behavior and kissing (aka snogging) lessons. Teens will discover that nothing is sacred here (e.g., "Talking of breasts, I'm worried that I may end up like the rest of the women in my family, with just the one bust, like a sort of shelf affair"). Rennison exquisitely captures the fine art of the adolescent ability to turn chaos into stand-up comedy.”—Publisher's Weekly*
*(Both reviews from this site). http://www.amazon.com/gp/
Library Use: I think one cool thing a library could do is have a display of books with multi-cultural characters/books set in other countries. You could use this series since it is set in England, but you could also do books set in Mexico, India, Japan, Australia, the Middle East, etc., or use books that have characters from those countries living in the United States. I know there are a couple of books that feature a young Middle Eastern teen by Randa Abdel-Fattah that talk about her experiences as someone with both Middle Eastern and American roots. I believe the first book is called Does My Head Look Big in This?, which refers to the head scarf she wears.
Image retrieved from: http://www.amazon.com/Angus-
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