Welcome to Everyone is Talking About, a new feature on the Johnson Elementary School Learning Leopard Library blog that features books and series that students just can’t stop talking about! Check out our Everyone is Talking About posts to learn more about some of the most commonly checked-out, requested, and reviewed books in the Learning Leopard Library.

This week, everyone is talking about Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls, a series by author Meg Cabot. Although Cabot is mainly known for her young adult fiction, this series, targeted at readers in grades 2-5, is a best-seller and a huge hit in libraries across the country. Nine year old Allie Finkle herself narrates the stories, which are full of humor, relateable characters and plotlines, and, of course, drama.

To get the dirt on Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls, I went to one of Allie’s biggest fans at Johnson –  Angel. Although she is in second grade, Angel has read her way through all of the books in the Allie Finkle series; that’s six novels! Angel told me that she loves Meg Cabot’s books because they’re realistic and you can learn from them. “They’re funny and exciting,” she said, “and they can help you learn how to treat people better.”

Angel also filled me on on the fact that Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls don’t shy away from the hard stuff. “There are bullies in these books. But I like it because it teaches you how to deal.” Angel says that she learns from Allie’s experiences the best way that she can deal with bullies, gossip, and other hurtful situations that could be coming her way. She likes the way that Allie deals with issues and says she learns how to handle things that could be difficult on her own.

Although she’s read the entire series, Angel has a favorite! Of the six Allie Finkle novels that we have in the library, Glitter Girls and the Great Fake Out is her favorite. On the cover, Allie stands wearing a pink feather boa. This book is Angel’s favorite because the girls play dress-up, which is one of her favorite things to do.

Angel says that she would definitely suggest the Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls books to her friends and classmates. She thinks that many of her friends would love the books because they are girly, but you can still learn a lot from them. When I asked Angel my hardest question, the one that normally trips students up – If you had to describe the book in one word, what would it be? – she didn’t even bat an eyelash. “Compassion!” she said. “Lots of girls need help when standing up to bullies. These books can help everyone!”

To learn more about Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls , visit the series’ home on Scholastic.com here. This website includes information about the books as well as “games and gizmos” about Allie and her gang. With parent supervision, students can even post with other Finkle Fans on the Schoalstic Community Message Boards (which, on Allie’s page, are called “The Blab Boards”). You can find the Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls books, and other books like them, in the fiction section of the Johnson  Library. A special thank you goes to Angel for her help!