Something to Blog About

Fifteen-year-old Libby Fawcett prefers using her password-protected blog to keeping a journal—it feels safer, more private. And 10th grade gives her lots of material: her big crush on Seth Jacobs; her mortifying accidents in chemistry, where she sets her hair on fire because she's daydreaming about Seth; the humiliations dished out by mean girl Angel Rivera. At home, Libby learns that her mother has been dating someone for months, and is horrified to discover that the gentleman is Angel's father. In the meantime, Seth asks Libby to tutor him in chemistry (she gets one of her best friends to tutor her first, natch), and he starts confiding in Libby. As Libby, blogging all the while, misreads the clear signs of his interest in her, the stage is set for obvious catastrophe: Angel and her dad come to Libby's house for dinner, Libby leaves her computer open, and sneaky Angel posts Libby's blog all over school, with easily foreseeable results. But there's promise in the characterizations: Libby genuinely empathizes with other people, even Angel, and debut novelist Norris lets her do so without compromising her credibility. Creating a believable narrator who's this nice takes talent, more than the tired plot alone would suggest. Ages 10-up. (Feb.)