Science-crazy seventh grader Lily Blake Cooper hopes that transferring to a new middle school will transform her from nerdy geek to social butterfly.At Lily's old school, mean girl Courtenay and her bevy made her life hell; looks and money seemed to be all that mattered. Before embarking on a fresh start, Lily devises a science experiment to try to solve the mystery of middle school popularity. However, science turns out not to be the ideal tool for making these life changes. Deciding to go by Blake and improving her wardrobe help, but the new school turns out to have plenty of pitfalls of its own. The coveted science club is superserious and less fun than the kitchen science Lily loves, not to mention that here the science-y kids rule, looking down on those who are less successful academically. A series of messy pranks target Lily and her classmates, and eventually a cruel prank which is hard to recover from socially is played on her. Although the characters tend toward two-dimensionality, the swiftly paced, first-person narrative keeps readers engaged, and the message that putting others down is wrong, no matter the reason, is valuable. Lily's social awkwardness and lack of confidence will resonate with many tweens. Her growing ability to deal with whatever life throws at her is relatable and engaging. Most characters present White.Shows readers that being kind is more important than belonging to the right clique. (Fiction. 10-14)

Gr 48 Lily cannot wait to switch schools and finally be free of the bully who has tormented her for years. She loves science, her family, and her best friend, Kat. Wanting to fit in at Lincoln Middle School, she decides to run an experiment to see if she can create a formula for popularity. At Lincoln, with no friends since Kat decided to stay behind at Hemlock Academy, she decides to test the formula. As luck would have it, science nerds appear to be the "in" crowd at Lincoln. After initially meeting some nice kids who are into sports, she realizes that they are not popular. She can either ditch her new friends or change the way she acts to fit in and be popular. Changing her name to Blake and using her formula, Lily transforms to fit in, creating a rift between her sister and best friend. Soon she realizes that there are repercussions to changing herself. Readers who have dealt with bullies will easily relate to the pressures of Lily's situation. The plot is engaging and will keep readers turning pages to see where her choices lead. There is a little love story seamlessly intertwined in the action which does not get sappy or overdrawn. The lead characters are well developed and elevate the pleasant yet predictable themebe yourself. Lily is cued as white. VERDICT An enjoyable story about family and friendship to which students will relate. Not a must-have, but for fans of Svetlana Chmakova's Awkward and Jacqueline Kelly's The Evolution of Calpernia Tate , this one would be good to have on your shelves.Elena Schuck, Mattacheese M.S., Marstons Mills, MA