Bullying, Mean Girls, and Discovering That Being Yourself Is the Best Way to Be in Fun Read for Fans of Jessica Brody

Many teens and "tweens" often wish that they had someone else's life. That is sometimes a major topic of conversation in today's families who have teens and "tweens". Jessica Brody's new fun read for ages 10+ is a great choice for young readers who often wish to be someone else. Better You Than Me has all of the elements of a typical teen and "tween" with their life events. Bullying and mean girls are unfortunately part of life for this age group and these elements are part of Skylar's life at school. Skylar wants to be part of the cool group in seventh grade. Ruby is a twelve-year-old star and Skylar is a huge fan. She often wishes that she could be Ruby. Ruby is currently starring in a show, Ruby of the Lamp, with an element of magic in a genie's lamp. Ruby often wishes for a normal "tween" life. The two girls have the opportunity to meet on Ruby's show set and Voila! The genie lamp grants both wishes to be someone else. Ruby and Skylar are now living a life as someone else. Ruby is living Skylar's average live and Skylar is living Ruby's glamorous life as a star. All does not go well. Ruby discovers that mean girls are a part of an average life in middle school. Skylar discovers that there are huge drawbacks to being a "tween" star. Brody's Better You Than Me has a life lesson for this age group that being yourself is the best thing to be. Young readers will find this to be a page-turner to see if the girls can go back to their own body.

Better You Than Me was published by Delacorte Press, a division of Random House Children's Books, and has an ISBN of 978-1-5247-6971-0. It is recommended for ages 10+.

Teachers who teach language arts and reading classes will want to bring Jessica Brody's new book Better You Than Me into their classroom for "tweens" and young teens. The book presents opportunities for great social discussions and creative writing activities.

*Chapter books are always fun to read together as a group reading session, with a few chapters read aloud through the week and month. Read Better You Than Me in your group reading session. It would also be a good book to assign for individual book reports and creative writing assignments.

*Take a class poll of how many students have ever wished that they could be someone else and why have they sometimes wished to be someone else? How many would want to be a star like Ruby?

*Call attention to the use of magic in this fun read. How many students would like to have a genie's magic lamp to have their wishes granted?

*You might like to read Ruby's chapters in the beginning to discover why she wants to live a normal life. Read Skylar's chapters in the beginning to discover why she wants to be someone else and be one of the cool kids in seventh grade.

*Brainstorm with students about the things that happen to Skylar and Ruby as they are living each other's life. What are the things that each likes and what are the things that each discovers are not so great after all.

*Assign a creative writing activity for students to write their own story about switching places with someone who they wish to be.