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The Popularity Pact: School Squad: Book Two
Two former best friends struggle to fit in and join the inner circles of middle school social life in this absorbing second entry of a duology about a resilient friendship, the pressure to conform, and the power of self-acceptance.
Picking up where The Popularity Pact: Camp Clique left off, the second book in this exciting duology finds former best friends Bea and Maisy preparing for the new school year. Bea kept up her end of the bargain, getting Maisy "in" with the girls at camp. Now it's Maisy's turn to fulfill her promise to ingratiate Bea with the popular girls. When Bea is accepted into this new inner circle, she begins to lose sight of what true friendship is all about. As Bea seems prepared to sacrifice anything to be "cool," Maisy realizes there's more to life than hanging out with a bunch of mean girls. Can she convince Bea that the popularity pact was a mistake? Can these former friends find their way back to each other?
Picking up where The Popularity Pact: Camp Clique left off, the second book in this exciting duology finds former best friends Bea and Maisy preparing for the new school year. Bea kept up her end of the bargain, getting Maisy "in" with the girls at camp. Now it's Maisy's turn to fulfill her promise to ingratiate Bea with the popular girls. When Bea is accepted into this new inner circle, she begins to lose sight of what true friendship is all about. As Bea seems prepared to sacrifice anything to be "cool," Maisy realizes there's more to life than hanging out with a bunch of mean girls. Can she convince Bea that the popularity pact was a mistake? Can these former friends find their way back to each other?
- GenresMiddle GradeChildrens
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 2020
5 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Eileen Moskowitz Palma
3 books11 followersWhen Eileen Moskowitz-Palma double majored in Elementary Education and English at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, she thought she would have to choose between a career as a writer or a teacher. It wasn’t until she was almost 40 that she realized she could do both.
Now, Eileen divides her time between writing middle grade novels and teaching Beginner Novel Writing and Writing for Children and Young Adults at The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College.
Eileen is a fitness enthusiast and lives a vegan-ish lifestyle unless you count the occasional bacon cheeseburger. She lives in Westchester, NY, with her college sweetheart husband Douglas, their daughter Molly, and their Wire Fox Terrier Oscar, who is one snaggle-tooth away from being a doggy model.
Now, Eileen divides her time between writing middle grade novels and teaching Beginner Novel Writing and Writing for Children and Young Adults at The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College.
Eileen is a fitness enthusiast and lives a vegan-ish lifestyle unless you count the occasional bacon cheeseburger. She lives in Westchester, NY, with her college sweetheart husband Douglas, their daughter Molly, and their Wire Fox Terrier Oscar, who is one snaggle-tooth away from being a doggy model.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 4, 2020
Not a bad follow-up to the first one.
Although I seriously wanted to smack the crap out of Maisy's dad towards the end there. Yeah, Addy has every right to be mad about Maisy ruining her meet, but comparing THAT situation with Maisy
Although I seriously wanted to smack the crap out of Maisy's dad towards the end there. Yeah, Addy has every right to be mad about Maisy ruining her meet, but comparing THAT situation with Maisy
September 11, 2020
@kidlitexchange Partner: The Popularity Pact-School Squad by @eileenmoskowitzpalma. Releases October 2020 through @runningpresskids. .
What’s crazy is that I LOVED this book! Let’s dive into it right away.
This book directly follows the first in the series, but can also be read alone (I was not confused). Friends Bea and Maisy prepare for their first day of seventh grade, determined to make the ranks of the popular girls in middle school. The depiction of popular middle school girls has not changed a bit since I was that age, except they now have Snapchat. In addition to wanting to be friends with this group, Bea and Maisy also deal with stress at home—Bea’s divorced parents are dating/engaged to other people, leaving her feeling overlooked. Maisy’s mom is back from drug rehab and Maisy struggles to forgive the mistakes her mom made. The book describes their rocky first few months both in school and at home.
What made this book so interesting to read was the fact that it was impossible to take sides. Sometimes I would think Maisy had it worse in life and that Bea made worse mistakes, but then my opinion would flip. They both did really mean things and yet it was TOTALLY understandable. You could equally feel for both of them and see their point of view even while they were having nothing to do with each other. It made for a really interesting and complex character study and I’m shocked at how well the author pulled it off and made it work.
I literally only have two complaints. One is that the 12-year-olds (and the 10-year-old sister) should have all been a year or two older in my opinion. They really just acted totally like teenagers. That’s probably realistic, but I like seeing books that encourage kids of that age range to stay young. My second complaint is that Clarke, while I liked him, basically had no flaws. I would LOVE a book with his pov where we get to know him deeper. Also, I would love a pov from each of the popular girls. I want to see what their secrets and their home lives are like.
The funniest part to me was Grandma. When the sisters are fighting and she crosses herself, I literally burst out laughing.
I hope this is a series with many books, and I plan to read the first one now. Thank you @kidlitexchange for the review copy—all opinions are my own.
What’s crazy is that I LOVED this book! Let’s dive into it right away.
This book directly follows the first in the series, but can also be read alone (I was not confused). Friends Bea and Maisy prepare for their first day of seventh grade, determined to make the ranks of the popular girls in middle school. The depiction of popular middle school girls has not changed a bit since I was that age, except they now have Snapchat. In addition to wanting to be friends with this group, Bea and Maisy also deal with stress at home—Bea’s divorced parents are dating/engaged to other people, leaving her feeling overlooked. Maisy’s mom is back from drug rehab and Maisy struggles to forgive the mistakes her mom made. The book describes their rocky first few months both in school and at home.
What made this book so interesting to read was the fact that it was impossible to take sides. Sometimes I would think Maisy had it worse in life and that Bea made worse mistakes, but then my opinion would flip. They both did really mean things and yet it was TOTALLY understandable. You could equally feel for both of them and see their point of view even while they were having nothing to do with each other. It made for a really interesting and complex character study and I’m shocked at how well the author pulled it off and made it work.
I literally only have two complaints. One is that the 12-year-olds (and the 10-year-old sister) should have all been a year or two older in my opinion. They really just acted totally like teenagers. That’s probably realistic, but I like seeing books that encourage kids of that age range to stay young. My second complaint is that Clarke, while I liked him, basically had no flaws. I would LOVE a book with his pov where we get to know him deeper. Also, I would love a pov from each of the popular girls. I want to see what their secrets and their home lives are like.
The funniest part to me was Grandma. When the sisters are fighting and she crosses herself, I literally burst out laughing.
I hope this is a series with many books, and I plan to read the first one now. Thank you @kidlitexchange for the review copy—all opinions are my own.
August 22, 2021
I read this with my daughter and it was perfectly timed since she just started sixth grade a few days ago. Middle school can be such a cringy time. These preteens are slowly maturing, going through many physical changes and handling so much drama. I loved that we read this together because it gave us a chance to discuss the problems and big issues both characters were balancing.
In the first story, Bea helped Maisy while they were away at summer camp. The two made a pact for Maisy to return the favor once they started school. She wants Maisy to help her fit in with the popular girls. Bea’s storyline showcases the anxiety she has over being lonely and left out. She goes to the extreme to make this year different and unfortunately loses herself along the way.
Each chapter alternates between both girls showing their thoughts and inner struggles. This book tackles so many issues that I think is so important for this age group to see and easily relate with. It covers: the obsession with social media, noticing that boys are actually kind of cute, doing homework for others, extreme peer pressure and even shoplifting. Wish you could have seen my daughter’s face during that part!! These moments show the toll it takes on you when you try too hard to fit in with the wrong crowd.
Both girls are also handling some personal issues at home. Bea’s mom is dating one of her goofy teachers (he is my favorite side character). Her dad is about to remarry and she is having a tough time blending with his new family as well as letting them know her true likes and feelings. Maisy continues to struggle with trust issues involving her mom who is returning from rehab. I love how the first book showed her opening up to a therapist and this one has a classmates who reaches out and invites her to a support group for parents with addictions.
Can’t recommend this series enough. The author does such a great job of touching on some heavy topics while also keeping the story captivating and fun.
In the first story, Bea helped Maisy while they were away at summer camp. The two made a pact for Maisy to return the favor once they started school. She wants Maisy to help her fit in with the popular girls. Bea’s storyline showcases the anxiety she has over being lonely and left out. She goes to the extreme to make this year different and unfortunately loses herself along the way.
Each chapter alternates between both girls showing their thoughts and inner struggles. This book tackles so many issues that I think is so important for this age group to see and easily relate with. It covers: the obsession with social media, noticing that boys are actually kind of cute, doing homework for others, extreme peer pressure and even shoplifting. Wish you could have seen my daughter’s face during that part!! These moments show the toll it takes on you when you try too hard to fit in with the wrong crowd.
Both girls are also handling some personal issues at home. Bea’s mom is dating one of her goofy teachers (he is my favorite side character). Her dad is about to remarry and she is having a tough time blending with his new family as well as letting them know her true likes and feelings. Maisy continues to struggle with trust issues involving her mom who is returning from rehab. I love how the first book showed her opening up to a therapist and this one has a classmates who reaches out and invites her to a support group for parents with addictions.
Can’t recommend this series enough. The author does such a great job of touching on some heavy topics while also keeping the story captivating and fun.
October 28, 2020
What a great up following up to Camp Clique! I love that the author perfectly tackles the drama and difficulties of being a tween, being in middle school, and wanting to fit in, but throw in real life issues that kids face? She nails it in the best way and it was impressive. The character development was realistic and well done. I know first thought is maybe the girls seem older than they are, but as a mom of kids this age, I can tell you this is pretty spot on for kids in 2020. This was a good book and easily a set of books perfect for any third, fourth, or fifth grade classroom. Kids will relate to Maisy and Bea!
November 7, 2020
Link to my book talk: https://youtu.be/ZHl9OtYSyUM
If you're looking for great books about middle-grade friendship, I'd recommend THE POPULARITY PACT. I enjoy following Bea and Maisy's friendship journey. Bea and Maisy are easily relatable and there are many great lessons to be learned. Make sure you have book 2 (School Squad) with you when you finish book 1 (Camp Clique) because there is a big hook at the end of book 1 that urges you to keep reading!
If you're looking for great books about middle-grade friendship, I'd recommend THE POPULARITY PACT. I enjoy following Bea and Maisy's friendship journey. Bea and Maisy are easily relatable and there are many great lessons to be learned. Make sure you have book 2 (School Squad) with you when you finish book 1 (Camp Clique) because there is a big hook at the end of book 1 that urges you to keep reading!
August 26, 2021
Solid 4 stars. A Middle Grade book about the day to day struggles of pre-teen middle school girls trying to fit in at school and with their families. Ultimately, a story about being true to yourself.
June 15, 2021
This was a great follow up book to CAMP CLIQUE!
December 8, 2022
Loved this book and so did my cousin’s kids!
October 31, 2020
Do you remember middle school? The desperation you felt to fit in, to have someone to eat lunch with, to share secrets with, and maybe even be popular? That’s exactly how Bea feels in this sequel to CAMP CLIQUE, and she’s willing to do anything (including shoplifting and vandalism) to make this happen. She and Maisy have been best friends since preschool, but suddenly Maisy ghosted her in sixth grade and became one of the popular girls. This all changed when they ended up sharing a cabin at Adventure Camp for six weeks during the summer and suddenly Maisy was the one on the outside. So they came up with a pact. If Bea helps Maisy be accepted at camp, Maisy promises to help Bea become one of the popular girls.
SCHOOL SQUAD not only shows us the drama of middle school, but it also offers us a look into each of the girl’s lives. We alternately hear from Bea and Maisy as they describe their families, their insecurities and their fears. We are given a glimpse of how an entire family is affected when one member becomes addicted to narcotics, as Maisy describes her mistrust of her mom and her unwillingness to forgive her, even after she’s been to rehab. Bea shares her feelings about being left out and her insecurity about being herself with her new step family, as her dad not only prepares to remarry, but also adopt his fiance’s daughters.
This story is important for so many reasons.
*First, I loved the growth shown by both Bea and Maisy, as they began to remember the kind of girls they are and want to be, rather than ones who cast aside their values simply to gain acceptance from their peers.
*I appreciated seeing how a family member’s addiction can affect the whole family.
*I loved the support group Maisy attended, which showed her she wasn’t alone and allowed her to share some of her feelings, which helped her begin to understand and forgive her mom.
*I loved Bea’s and Maisy’s courage when they sat at a lunch table by themselves.
*And finally, the robotics club and their inventions were so much fun.
This is a book (releases 10.6.20) you’ll want to preorder for your family! Librarians, you’ll need several copies, I’m sure!
SCHOOL SQUAD not only shows us the drama of middle school, but it also offers us a look into each of the girl’s lives. We alternately hear from Bea and Maisy as they describe their families, their insecurities and their fears. We are given a glimpse of how an entire family is affected when one member becomes addicted to narcotics, as Maisy describes her mistrust of her mom and her unwillingness to forgive her, even after she’s been to rehab. Bea shares her feelings about being left out and her insecurity about being herself with her new step family, as her dad not only prepares to remarry, but also adopt his fiance’s daughters.
This story is important for so many reasons.
*First, I loved the growth shown by both Bea and Maisy, as they began to remember the kind of girls they are and want to be, rather than ones who cast aside their values simply to gain acceptance from their peers.
*I appreciated seeing how a family member’s addiction can affect the whole family.
*I loved the support group Maisy attended, which showed her she wasn’t alone and allowed her to share some of her feelings, which helped her begin to understand and forgive her mom.
*I loved Bea’s and Maisy’s courage when they sat at a lunch table by themselves.
*And finally, the robotics club and their inventions were so much fun.
This is a book (releases 10.6.20) you’ll want to preorder for your family! Librarians, you’ll need several copies, I’m sure!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews