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Stop in the Name of Pants! (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson)

Time to gird the loins and pucker up.

Blimey O'Reilly's trousers! Three maybe-boyfriends is a lot for any girl to handle—red-bottomed or not. What with Robbie the Sex God back from Kiwi-a-gogo land wanting to "get coffee" and whatsit, Masimo the Luuurve God saying things like "Ciao, Georgia, see you later" (the good see-you-later or the bad see-you-later??), and her mate Dave the Laugh snogging her in a pond, it's enough to make any girl mad.

Good thing she has the ace gang to keep her sane. Ish.

But now that she has tearfully eschewed Robbie the Sex God with a firm hand, Georgia is left with two potential snoggees to choose from, and it's high time she left the cakeshop of love for good. This time with a gorgey Italian cakey. Or a nip-libbling Dave the Tart. But certainly not both. Maybe.

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Startled by His Furry Shorts (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson)

On the rack of romance. And also in the oven of luuurve.

Woe is Georgia: Dave the Laugh has declared his love for her (at least she thinks he was talking about her), and she has finally given Masimo an ultimatum to be her one and only and he has to think about it. And will she ever be able to stop thinking about the Sex God plucking his guitar strings of loveosity?

Who Do You Think You Are?: Stories of Friends and Enemies

irst published to unanimous acclaim in 1993, this powerful collection of sixteen provocative stories and autobiographical excerpts introduces young adults to some of the best of contemporary writers, including Maya Angelou, Richard Peck, Tobias Wolff, and Gish Jen. These multilayered stories capture friendship in all its complexity, showing that sometimes we are at once friends and enemies. Used by countless English teachers in both high school and college, this book is back, now in paperback, with a striking new cover certain to attract a whole new audience.

Love Is a Many Trousered Thing (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson)

After queuing up at the cakeshop of luuurve for ages, I have accidentally bought two cakes.

And I am sitting in a bush.

Georgia thought her heartbreak-osity troubles were over when Masimo announced that he wanted to be her one and only. But just as she hits Swoon City, Robbie, the original Sex God, shows up. How in the world has Georgia accidentally acquired two Sex Gods?

Before Georgia can decide what to do next, she must figure out what Robbie's intentions are—and if his sudden re-appearance changes her mind about Masimo. And as much as she wants to turn to Dave the Laugh for help, he's another romantic thorn (and prospective snoggee) in her side. Will Georgia ever get off the rack of love once and for all?

Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas: Further, Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolson

Georgia Nicolson is now the girlfriend of the Sex God (aka Robbie), and things are wonderful. Except her loony parents are dragging her off to Och Aye land (aka Scotland), and the Sex God's band's chance at a record contract has left her something of a "pop widow."

Then up rears temptation in the form of old flame Dave the Laugh. Is Georgia about to become a shameless vixen?

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (rack): Confessions of Georgia Nicolson

She has a precocious 3-year-old sister who tends to leave wet nappies at the foot of her bed, an insane cat who is prone to leg-shredding "Call of the Wild" episodes, and embarrassing parents who make her want to escape to Stonehenge and dance with the Druids. No wonder 14-year-old Georgia Nicolson laments, "Honestly, what is the point?" A Bridget Jones for the younger set, Georgia records the momentous events of her life--and they are all momentous--in her diary, which serves as a truly hilarious account of what it means to be a modern girl on the cusp of womanhood. No matter that her particular story takes place in England, the account of her experiences rings true across the ocean (and besides, "Georgia's Glossary" swiftly eradicates any language barriers).

The author, Louise Rennison, is a British comedy writer and it shows. Whether Georgia is dealing with wearing a bra ("OK, it's a bit on the loose side and does ride up round my neck if I run for the bus"), pondering kissing and how to know which way to turn your head ("You don't want to be bobbing around like pigeons for hours"), or managing the results of an overzealous eyebrow-plucking episode ("Obviously, now I have to stay in forever"), she always cracks us up. Georgia struggles with the myriad issues facing teen girls--boys, of course being at the forefront--but she does it with such humor and honesty it almost seems like a good time. This refreshingly funny book is ripe for a sequel, which readers will await in droves. (Ages 11 and older). --Brangien Davis

Angus: I should have guessed all was not entirely well in the cat department when I picked him up and he began savaging my cardigan.

Thongs: What is the point of them? They just go up your bum, as far as I can tell.

Full-Frontal Snogging: Kissing with all the trimmings, lip to lip, open mouth, tongues ... everything. (Apart from dribble, which is never acceptable.)

Away Laughing on a Fast Camel: Even More Confessions of Georgia Nicolson

The Sex God has left the country, taking Georgia's heart with him. So she decides to display glaciosity to all boys -- a girl can only have her heart broken so many times.

Until she meets Masimo, the new singer for the Stiff Dylans. The Sex God is gone, but here comes the Dreamboat, and Georgia's away laughing on a fast camel (whatever that means).

On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God: Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolson

Fourteen-year-old Georgia Nicolson is back in British author Louise Rennison's irreverent, laugh-out-loud sequel to the Michael L. Printz Honor Book Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging. Written in diary form, these truly hilarious books chronicle the often minute-by-minute, very dramatic, and significant flip-flops of a teenager's psyche.

7:18 p.m.
My eyes are all swollen up like mice eyes from crying. Even my nose is swollen. It's not small at the best of times, but now it looks like I've got three cheeks. Marvelous. Thank you, God.

9:00 p.m.
I'll never get over this.

9:10 p.m.
Time goes very slowly when you're suicidal.

What tragedy has her so distraught? Her parents have told her she's moving to New Zealand just when she's managed to snog (kiss--look it up in the glossary) the SG (Sex God, a.k.a Robbie). This is of course not the only source of drama in Georgia's eventful life. Her half Scottish wildcat, Angus, who is the size of a small Labrador, herds the poodles next door and terrorizes the neighborhood. Her little sister, Libby, who is slightly mad, stores her "pooey knickers" and her scuba-diving Barbie doll in Georgia's bed. Her mother (from whom she inherited her orangutan eyebrow gene and possibly her "gigantic basoomas") is clearly inhabiting Earth solely to make her life miserable, and even her best friend Jas is "half girl, half turnip."

Despite the fact that she's spared from going to "Kiwi-a-gogo land," things don't get much better for Georgia. She's suspended for a childish prank right before her dad returns from New Zealand, she falls in love with the SG who dumps her for being too young, and Dave, the "red-herring" boyfriend she's using to make the SG jealous calls her a "heartless whatsit." And, she continues, "the spot on my bum is probably a boil. I wonder what Buddha would do now?" Rennison's comedic timing is brilliant. Adolescent angst ("I hope I am not driven to the brink of madness by grief") vanishes less than an hour later ("Angus can fetch sticks!!!") and sometimes even sooner. (Warning: Do not read this book while riding a train or bus unless you don't care what people think of intermittent explosive laughter. Seriously.) (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson

Georgia Nicolson has started dating the Sex God (aka Robbie). So life should be perfect . . . except in Georgia's life, nothing is ever perfect. Her cat, Angus (the size of a small Labrador), is terrorizing the neighborhood. Her sister, Libby (who is slightly mad), hides her pooey knickers at the bottom of Georgia's bed.

Then the Sex God breaks it off because she's too young. It's time for a plan. It's time for a Red Herring. It's time for Georgia to become a "heartless boy magnet!"

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