The Popularity Papers

Social Hierarchy, Funny, Feminine, Self-Evaulation

The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement

and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang

by Amy Ignatow

Published by Amulet Books

Copyright 2010

This story is about two fifth grade girls, Lydia and Julie, who are best friends. To prepare to enter junior high school, the girls decide they are going to examine the popular girls at their school. Lydia and Julie are very different. Julie lives with her two fathers and she likes to draw. Lydia lives with her mom and sister and she likes to sing. This story is told through the drawings of both girls and uses both of their handwriting in the text as they record their data regarding the popular girls. The girls' friendship begins to change as their journey to popularity progresses. The girls acquire new friends and new hobbies and eventually their friendship faces challenges. This girl's version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid brings readers a look at the social hierarchy of preteen girls and the difficulties of growing up.

Suggested Delivery: Independent Read

Grade Level: Lexile n/a, Ages 9-12

Key Vocabulary: revolution, vintage, infirmary, mutual, dyslexic, campaign

Teaching Suggestions:

• Before Reading: Discuss with students what it means to be popular. Is it important to be popular? Is it bad to not be popular? Why do you think people feel the need to be popular?
• During Reading: When Lydia and Julie are preparing to conduct their experiments, students will make predictions about the outcome of the experiement. Students will keep track of the proposed experiement, their predictions, and the actual outcome, on a chart.
• After Reading: Students will create their own short version of a graphic novel by choosing what they feel are the most important events in the novel. Students will draw out these events in order in comic strip form or they can use a whole sheet of paper and create a book with their drawings.

Writing Activity: Students will write about what they think it means to be popular based on their experiences at school. What is it that makes a person popular? Is it better to be known for your popularity or your personality?

Electronic Resources:

• Amy Ignatow: This is an article about the author and her journey to The Popularity Papers.
• Comic Creator: This is a website for students to create their own comic strips. They can add captions, word bubbles, and objects to their panels. Students can also choose the length of their comic by selecting the number of panels.

Ignatow, A. (2010). The popularity papers: research for the social improvement and general betterment of Lydia Goldblatt & Julie Graham-Chang. New York: Amulet Books.