A bullying incident involving eighth-grader Bird's clique is the last straw for her mother, who relocates the family to rural Oklahoma. There, aspiring actress Bird capitalizes on a misunderstanding to become substitute principal for an eventful two days that finally change her views on bullying. A preposterous premise and some unfunny slapstick make this preachy tale fall flat.

In a distinct change of pace, Myers turns in a screwball comedy. In full adolescent-rebellion mode after her mom, Rendi, determinedly yanks her away from her classmate-harassing, dress-alike, eighth-grade clique and sets off in search of a fresh start, Robin dishes out the Silent Treatment, writes kidnap notes and makes a cold suggestion—which Rendi unexpectedly takes up—to settle down in Prairie Dog Town, Okla. There, she refuses to wear anything but business attire to her new school. When she is mistaken for the new temporary principal, Robin suddenly finds herself on the other side of the desk, saddled with a local clique and their harassment victim. With some help from a Psychic Hotline, Robin gets herself, the students and even Rendi straightened out during a reign that lasts but two days. Then she sells the whole episode as an anti-bullying human interest story to the national Opal Gentry TV show. Though some twists, such as Robin's pursuit of hunky student Kash Edge while still supposedly in charge, aren't all that funny, her chatty narrative and sometimes-misplaced self-confidence keep the tone light. (Fiction. 11-13)

Gr 5-8-This version of every kid's fantasy can be fun although it's sitcom thin and unbelievable, and its approach to bullying is unrealistic. After Robin and her group of eighth-grade friends, known as the Six Pack, are caught mistreating a classmate, Robin's mother moves them from Denver to Prairie Dog Town, OK. Dressed in a tailored suit chosen to bother her free-spirited mother, Robin goes to enroll in her new middle school and is mistaken for the substitute principal who (surprise!) has the same name. During her two days in office, she encounters a girl who is constantly tormented by a clique, gains insight into the victim's perspective, and works to empower her and address harassing behavior. She also watches soaps with the easygoing Coach Pickle, dials a psychic hotline for advice, and falls for a good-looking boy. By the time the real principal arrives, Robin has shared her story with the Opal television show and convinced them to come to town to do a special on bullying. Readers might enjoy this over-the-top book, but it's strictly additional when compared to James Howe's The Misfits (S & S, 2001), Doug Wilhelm's The Revealers (Farrar, 2003), and Judy Blume's Blubber (Random, 1976), all of which have fully developed characters, plausible plots, and lots more heart.-Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.