Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek

Can a "How To Be Popular" guide written in the 1950s help an awkward teen from 2012 to build confidence and fit in?

Surprisingly, the answer is "yes"!

When it came to popularity, Maya Van Wagenen often described herself as being "pretty much the lowest level of people at school who aren't paid to be here". Then she discovered Betty Cornell's Teenage Popularity Guide, published in 1951. Her dad had bought it as a joke, but when it came into Maya's hands, she saw it as something as more than just a novelty prop. Before beginning 8th grade, Maya decided to try something: She'd follow the advice in the book and see where it took her, applying Betty Cornell's advice to her life in the 21st century. The results were amazing. Not only did Maya build her own confidence, but she actually gained a certain level of popularity.

Maya's own memoir, Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek, is funny, heartwarming, and, at times, positively cringe-worthy. And it proves that, while trends come and go, some advice is timeless! A definite must-read!

p.s. Want to check out Betty Cornell's book for yourself? We own that too! --AJB

The Most Popular Girl

If you enjoyed Beauty, by Lisa Daily, this blog's book of the day, and want something like it, check out Teen Witch (DVD).

Louise Miller feels like a nobody at school and at home. Her crush doesn't notice her, the It Crowd shuns her, and her parents treat her like she's 6 instead of 16. Nothing is going right, and Louise can't help but feel her life would be better if only she were popular. Then she gets her wish: While riding home one dark and stormy night, Louise's bike tire blows out. She takes refuge from the storm in a spooky old victorian mansion owned by quirky fortune teller Madame Serena. It is here that Louise learns she's a witch, and will come into her powers on her next birthday--which is only a week away. After some experimentation with small spells, Louise does what any geeky teenager with witchy powers would do: She works a spell to make herself the most popular girl in the school. And it works better than she ever imagined! Suddenly Louise has the lead in the school play (opposite her crush, of course), the It Crowd wants to hang out with her, and hottie Brad (who looks like a very young Tom Cruise) is suddenly paying her a lot of attention. At first, Louise is content. But then she can't help but wonder: Does Brad like her for herself or only because of the spell? Only by undoing the magic can she find out--IF she has the courage to do so.

Teen Witch is the epitome of cheezy 80s movies. A cliche-heavy plot all dressed up in wild clothes and big hair and concluded by a synchronized dance number at the Prom (where everything works out, of course). This little-known movie is just as awesome as the better-known Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. So if 80s movies are your guilty pleasure, Teen Witch is sure to please! --AJB