The New Girl

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls #2

by Meg Cabot

There's a whole new set of rules to learn when you're the new girl!When you are starting at a brand-new school, you have to wear something good.Allie Finkle's starting her first day of school at Pine Heights Elementary! Plus, she's getting a new kitten, the first pick of show cat Lady Serena Archibald's litter!But being the New Girl is turning out to be scary, too, especially since one of the girls in Allie's new class -- Rosemary -- doesn't like her. In fact, Rosemary says she's going to beat Allie up after school.

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Juvenile

222 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2008

About the author

Librarian note: AKA Jenny Carroll (1-800-Where-R-You series), AKA Patricia Cabot (historical romance novels).

Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.

She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.

Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.

Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.


Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator

Reviews

[Awa Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading the book The New Girl. I really loved the book. One reason I really liked this book was because, all the good rules Allie wrote about her life so far. It is also good rules/ advice for lots of girls that has the same problem in life now. She also writes rules to remember times and problems in life, she writes rules about how to be polite around adults, or others. One good is (rule#11) a lady never raises her fist to another. Young girls always think violence is the key to all problems. on pg. Since Allie's first day of school at Pine Heights Elementary, Rosemary wanted to beat her up and never liked her. Then Allie found out why she was rude to all the girls, then the janitor told her it's because none of the girls ever ask her to play with them or she has to baby sit the boys in the back of the room. On pg. 212 Rosemary told Allie how felt and it was all true.

You would like this book if you has the same problems as Allie. I say this because you never know when your going to need Allie's advice when you have problems or when you need rules, about how to be girl. You also grow to worry about if Rosemary is going to beat up Allie and reject her as being her friend. She knows Rosemary had a hard life because she grew up with 6 brothers and sit with the boys in the back of the classroom.

One BIG challenge about this book is imaging the way they speak, because they are from Texas. It tells that the person who wrote this spent time in Texas too. They use the same words that they use in the North, but all you got to do is imagine the Texas accient.

I think Rosemary is a very interesting character. I think that because she is the one who has to watch the boys in the back of the classroom. She also lives with 6 boys and her fathers a football coach, and that's why everyone expects her to act tough like a boy. But, the only reason she acts like that,is because no girl ever ask her to play with them, and she doesn't get attention from the girls in class, by sitting in the back with the boys all the time.At recess she played kickball with the boys. But pride shown in her when Allie asked her "to play with her".

[Sharon Falduto]

Allie deals with bullying at her new school--trying to avoid being beaten up by the Mean Girl. Fun stuff for adults in this book, too, especially when Allie's grandmother visits and imposes her expectations.

[Devon Matheny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re reading my favorite series from childhood. Really good lessons in these!

[Bridget Nygren]

Tbh, I never really read this series when I was younger, but I got them mostly because of the cool cover lol!

[Brooklynn]

Really good book

[Ella,D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls is about a girl named Allie. She is starting a new school and is nervous about the first day. She already knows a few people that go to that school because she had already checked the school out. Allie has a few friends so that will make her feel more comfortable with this new school. When Allie starts the first day, there is a bully who does not like Allie. Allie has to go through some hard situations at the new school to face the bully. Can Allie stick up for herself and face the bully?

I rate this book a 4 out of 5. This book has great detail and you feel like you are actually in the story. The author did a really good job on the theme of the story. My favorite part of the book was when Allie was in the spelling bee and it was a contest. Another reason I liked this book is because I read the first book and right where that book ended book 2 is where it started. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes entertaining books and fun and creative stories. I would definitely read this book again.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a cute story about an Elementary girl going to a new school. She really trys her hardest to get in on the right foot. At first she has good confidence but gets there and is not too sure. But, she gets back up again and see's more sides to everything. The story is read in a book/diary way that she has put into "Rules" about school (and other random things.) She really had lots to go through. With her little brother and her that have moved from another school, to this one. It's cool because she reminds me of myself because around her age I moved from one school I've been used to, to a new one.

I think people like me when I was in Elementary should read this book. It's a good life lesion. That any kid or student could learn from. Also people older could read it too if you liked things that Elementary kids do. Than it'd be a good book to read and laugh about the silly things we all remember about Elementary.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allie is starting school at Pine Heights Elementary school! Not only is she still settling into her new house. She is very excited to be getting her very own kitten! But it seems that the mama cat may have her babies too early! Now Allie has to worry about being the new girl, plus her unborn kitten, the school spelling bee and the bully that wants to kill her! What is a girl to do!?

While I’m a huge fan of Meg Cabot’s Adult and Young Adult books, I have to admit I even enjoyed this book for younger audiences. Is there anything Meg can’t do, and I’m not just saying that because she is a fellow Hoosier! Allie is the perfect protagonist and she tackles issues that I’m sure kids face today, because I remember being the new girl and facing the same ones! Cabot’s easy reading style and comical satire are key components to which I’m sure will be a popular series among young readers.

[Madeleine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Meg Cabot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So when i found out she was writing another series i went straight to reading them.
This book is about a fourth grader named Allie Finkle. Allie Finkle loves to write rules. She has her own little rule book. For example : Never Eat Anything Red, is one of her rules. In the beginning of this book she is the new girl, and she is getting a kitten. The mom of the kittens is a show cat. Or used to be show cat, since she has had a litter of kittens. When Allie arrives at her new school there is a girl named rosemary who is a bully.
What's she gonna do about rosemary?

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Allie just moved to a new town and it's her first day at her new school. A girl named Rosemary threatens her that she's going to kill Allie. But luckily she has three best friends by her side. Erica, Caroline and Sophie. They also have a big spelling test coming up. They study at recess. Allie does make to the final ten. In the second one she didn't win the championship but Caroline did. It was against the fifth graders and they were only in fourth grade! Allie is getting a new cat too. She's hoping it's a girl but it's a boy. The vet told her that it does not matter what gender it is. She eventually invite's Rosemary over to her house for lunch and by then they got along just fine.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a GREAT series for 2nd-4th grade girls. My 9 year old has read all 4 of the books in the series over & over, and eagerly awaits each additional book. I actually read this first one when my daughter was in 1st grade to make sure it was appropriate for her reading level. (The book store said 3rd grade & above) and now I have to read each of the books to find out what happens to Allie. SUCH a cute, fun series for girls!!

[Terrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allie is at her new school. She learns to deal with a bully, the pressure of a spelling bee,living in a haunted house, and eagerly anticipates the birth of her kitten (which comes with unforeseen complications.) One of the great rules of the book, which really helps Allie is "if you say it enough times in your head, it will come true (sometimes.)

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book Allie is being the New Girl. I think that being a new girl is not really good because it's all new to you. I've been a new girl too, but I don't like to be the new girl. Especially she is bullied. I learn that bullies are mean because they want to be your friend because they don't have any. So that' s why they are being so mean.

[Huda · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read this book you'll find out how it feels like to be the New girl. How would you feel? Nervous, excited or scared?

[jax]

Loved when I was a kid

[Marjan]

it is awsome

[Kryssy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m actually so impressed that Allie, as a 9 year old, is so calm and asks questions before overreacting. She’s how i wish my kids could be

She was also so determined about her cat the entire book

- Jeans under skirt
- Everything is still packed
- Friends have embarrassing families too
- Desk next to erica weird warning to pay attention
- Mean girl Rosemary
- Caught chitchatting but got the first question right
- Lives close to school so she gets to go home for lunch
- Writes a letter for class about fire she will name and take care of her kitten. What she will buy her and how to pay is the expenses
- Rosemary collected papers after teacher steps out and mocks Allie’s
- Teacher caught her!!!
- Lady Serena Archibald might die - along with her kittens
- Spelling bee and allie almost got out because of a homophone
- In the final 10
- Misspelled doctor. Thought it was -er because they work in an Emergency Room. But also makes sense because they work in an Operating Room
- Grandma is coming to visit
- Cat is healthy!!
- Grandma is crabby about no oven
- Gets in moms nerves to the point where mom orders a drink at dinner so the kids are able to get Shirley temples even though It isn’t their birthdays
- Allie doesn’t trust grandma anymore after she ordered lobster which will like a live animal
- Grandma has a different oven delivered
- Goes to visit the kittens
- Doesn’t want family at spelling bee
- Spelling bee words went up to 7th grade words
- Caroline won!
- Grandma wants to buy allie a congratulations present. She can get the cat bed
- Lady serena is sick and can’t nurse babies. Allie can have kitten early but needs to feed special formula. Grandma will help out
- Possibility that rosemary is mean to allie because she wants to be more girly - like allie
- Kitten is actually a boy!!

Rules (just chapter titles):
1. When you are starting your first day ever at a brand new school, you have to wear something good so people will think you’re nice
2. If a bunch of 5th grade girls thinks your brother is cute, just go along with it
3. You aren’t supposed to lie to adults. Unless lying will make them feel better
4. When someone decides she is going to beat you up, the best thing to do is hide
5. Friends and queens drive let each other get beaten up
6. Peaceful, nonviolent, conflict resolution is always the answer
7. Ask old people what to do because they know everything
8. It’s not polite to stare
9. If someone wants to beat you up, try psyching her out
10. If you say it in your head enough times it will come true. Sometimes
11. A lady never raises her fists to another
12. We all make mistakes and we all deserve a second chance
13. Cats don’t care what color their collar is

Other rules:
- you need a lot of fiber to help digest your food
- No child whose last name is Finkle may touch the doorbell or they will not be allowed to watch television for 2 weeks
- There is nothing wrong with walking to school with your mom and dad on your first day. Except everything
- If you have special skills such as having double jointed thumbs, people will automatically like you right away
- When someone is yelling at you with excitement, it’s polite to yell back
- When a grown up especially a teacher asks you to do something, it’s really rude not to do it
- Things can’t get worse
- Grilled cheese on whole wheat bread is gross
- Little brothers can be such total phonies sometimes **
- You can’t let a bully know she is bothering you. Otherwise the bully wins
- Standing up for yourself when others are being mean to you is important. Especially when it’s your first day of school
- It’s never funny if someone’s feelings are being hurt
- When the mother of your kitten is at the veterinary hospital in premature labor and you don’t know if you’re going to get a cat or not and a girl in your glass says she’s going to beat you know that if you mess up she’s going to do it for sure, it’s hard to concentrate on spelling
- No one likes a braggart
- Pretending you have things under control and actually having things under control are two very different things
- You have to be careful what you tell mom. At least if she’s the kind of mom that who is just going to make things worse
- It isn’t polite to call adults names
- I am the oldest child so i am the one in charge
- The less your little brothers know about your business, the better off you are
- Never eat anything red —> never eat anything with tomatoes in it or on it
- Don’t eat anything that once lived in the water
- You have to ignore your other siblings on the playground at school unless one of them is bleeding or otherwise in pain
- The polite thing to say when someone gives you a compliment is thank you
- It’s not polite to tell someone their advice stinks
- It’s rude to say yeah to adults. You should say yes or yes sir or yes maam
- It’s meant to invite someone over to your house and then insult them

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me, especially after Allie laid out SO MANY RULES that remind me of Rules (which exist for a different reason... I think?), ESPECIALLY when Allie has some VERY Fourth-Grader ideas about how the world works as relate to premature babies (especially kittens), regardless of whether she truly does want to be a veterinarian when she grows up. I mean, a fourth-grader could be the most earnest in all of creation, but it still wouldn't qualify her to do a FULL-FLEDGED vet's job AND still go to school and such.

Also, as I learned from The Witches of Worm, the mother cat is supposed to encourage the newborn kittens to poop by licking their anuses, which I imagine isn't something Allie should be signing up to do IMMEDIATELY after the kittens are born (taking away the kittens' formative time with Mama Cat, I mean—though I also would not encourage her to lick the kitten herself at ALL). That her parents don't explain as much to Allie is discouraging, too, but I suppose they—like me—would have been Today Years Old when they learned that.

Basically, the whole "preemie kitten" storyline doesn't sit well with me, but then my parents would only let us have small animals like gerbils... until we kids moved out, THEN they got cats. (Figures.)

Ahem.

The REST of the story is great! Sort of. I mean, it's about being bullied for being the New Girl, which is fun. To be fair, it's ONE bully, while everyone else seems to be cool about it. The great part is Allie's nonviolent approach (where her dad recommended punching the bully back, in the nose, since he had regularly been beaten up himself and maybe wanted her to empower herself), culminating in the janitor pointing out—accurately—that the bully actually wanted to be friends but only knew how to talk "boy" from her roughhousing brothers, and Allie making peace with the bully. I like that, actually. Makes up for the sheer Cringe that is enduring the bullying via proxy (reading Allie's story).

I do have to wonder, though, about her parents buying a 100+-year-old house and the family going without a working stove because the one they wanted that MATCHED THE HOUSE was on backorder. Like, I can't imagine moving into a house where I was not prepared to LIVE there on day one! Even moving between apartments, we moved a little at a time—unimportant things first, then large items, last perishables and necessities before living in the new place full-time, with some leeway to pick up last things from the prior place. Maybe that's covered in the first book, I don't know; haven't read it.

Recommended for younger readers with butterflies about starting at a new school!

Update: I forgot to touch on the spelling bee issue! That is, spelling bees are a SCAM... or, at the very least, counterintuitive.

In a column of Ask Marilyn (that is irritatingly impossible to find in a search), Marilyn pointed out that we almost never in practice spell things out loud—the sounds of letters are very different from how they look, and our brains process them differently! Instead, we write down words and check for mistakes, so a truly fair spelling bee would let all the participants have a board where they could write down how the word is spelled, change it if needed, then hold it up once done, so not only would it be the way we naturally work out how to spell things, all of them could have the same word at the same time, which would be more fair than luck of the draw if someone gets an easy or hard word.

Also, English is one of the VERY few languages where a spelling bee even makes sense! Most languages are phonetic, so it's like... it's spelled how it sounds! What would a spelling be even mean? Or, say, Japanese or Chinese—that would actually be impossible to do audibly, since individual characters can be read a number of ways, and different characters can sound the same.

I just wanted to bring up my annoyance at spelling bees, and not just because I lost one to an "easy" word (combined with stage fright—I think THAT's the bigger part of the spelling bee challenge).

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to re-read books from my childhood since my nostalgia glasses are always on, so I may be slightly biased when saying I really enjoyed this book. I love Meg Cabot's voice and how strongly it shines through here. This book offers a lot of great insight to young girls when it comes to dealing with bullies, and I really love all the new things I've picked up on after re-reading it all these years later. I found the sub-plot with Allie's parents and grandmother to be really entertaining, in particular.

The only real critique I have was that the plotline with Rosemary really starts to get a little repetitive after awhile. She calls Allie a name, Allie fears for her life, and repeat. Though, I guess when you're young, getting called names IS a huge deal. Regardless, The New Girl was a fun read that I would recommend to all young girls.

[aconstellationoftomes · Rating 3 out of 5]

"If you say it enough times in your head, it will come true (sometimes)." (Allie Finkle)

Allie Finkle is a likable character and she has an extremely authentic voice. Many of her experiences in The New Girl, such as living in a new house, being a new girl at school, worrying about her future kitten and dealing with a school bully, are things that 4th graders can relate to.

Allie gets a lot of advice (good and bad) about how to deal with being bullied, but I liked the manner in which she dealt with the school bully. I also enjoyed any interaction that involved Grandma.

The New Girl is a fun and hilarious addition to the Allie Finkle Rules for Girls series.

"A lady never raises her fist to another!" (Grandma)

[Jennifer Denney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one with my 7 year old. Allie Finkle and her family have moved to a new town. Allie's worried about starting fourth grade at a new school, but she already has met a few friends over the summer so she won't be completely alone. Allie lives by a set of rules to get through any situation thrown her way -- except when the class bully targets her and threatens to beat her up. Allie asks others for advice on how to handle the bully, but she's distracted by adopting a baby kitten who was born prematurely and by her participation in the school spelling bee. Allie Finkle's family is relatable and funny, and the situations Allie finds herself in are realistic to a fourth grade experience.

[Jia ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good! Wish they had the third book at the library! :( I love Meg Cabot's books so much. This book is about a girl named Allie Finkle (don't read this if you haven't read the first one) who just moved into her new house, and its her first day of school she hangs out with her new friends but there is this one girl named Rosemary who seems to hate her from the beginning. This book is about how she deals with mean girl Rosemary and other problems.

[Harper Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so intense and emotional for me. Super challenging read. I could totally relate to Allie; she reminded me of my young elementary school self. I remember how hard it truly is to be in the 4th grade. I recommend this to anyone with child side, or a child. After all, this book was made for kids.

[CarolineDearman RDNG4130 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allie Finkle does it again!!!!! I'm not sure I liked this book as much as the first one. Too much cat stuff and grandma drama. But once again, Allie Finkle proves herself a role model to girls everywhere. In the end, she invites the mean girl (who claims she's going to beat Allie up) to her house for lunch and to see the new kitten. Turns out, Rosemary just wants to be one of the girls.

[Vienna Knudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book late into the night and finished in only 5 days because it was so interesting. One of the reasons I love this book is because the detail and the story itself. It’s so fun to hear a character telling the story the way they see it. I also love Meg Cabot and the movies the Princess Diaries. I wish there could be more of these books because I’m reading them so fast.

[diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as funny as the first, but still quite enjoyable! I don't know if I'll continue with the series, as I often find that I have more luck with children's stand-alones or the first book in a series, and that continuations tend to drag. BUT, seeing as these are short and sweet, I think it might be fun to catch up with Allie over the next few weeks.

3.5/5 stars

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite often being the new girl at school, I did not like this book. I felt that some of Allie’s rules would not make for a good new school experience. While they did attract a bully, I could predict everything because Allie is friends with said bully in the later books I read first. If I read this one before the later books, I would have liked it better.

[D.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

I love Allie as a character, but I really didn't care for the depiction of her bully, Rosemary. I don't like how bullies in kids' books are all portrayed as overgrown, dumb-as-a-rock clods. In real life, bullies come in all shapes and sizes and levels of intelligence and socioeconomic status. It's a bad stereotype and a harmful one. Just sayin'.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 tähteä.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is cute, and it moves quickly. It is probably a great way to get middle-grade girls to want to read Meg Cabot's YA books.