Genre: Children's Fiction
Millicent Madding initially thought she would make a great sixth grade class president when she first decided to run. She had the brains, the creativity, and the leadership – all indicators of a great president for Winifred T. Langley Middle School. Furthermore, nobody else would volunteer, so why not her? Imagine her horror when a new rival arrives – Fiona Dimmet, an elitist model from Pretty Liddy's Junior Fashion Academy. Since the academy is undergoing renovation; Fiona, along with her crew, are only temporary students at Langley Middle School. However, Fiona is bent on crushing Millicent as well as her drab fashion sense. Popular, pretty, superficial, and arrogant Fiona then decides to change the rules of the election: the election would take the form as a modeling competition.
In my opinion, the whole story was really pointless. Fiona wasn't a real student at Langley, so it didn't make sense why she would still be allowed to run. The plot was overly dramatized, overdone, and mostly over-the-top, especially with Millicent having two parents who are lost in time travel and as well as an aunt who lost her memory while performing in a circus.
What I especially hated was how the people from Pretty Liddy's all had to mutilate the English language, using words such as "superberific", "spectabulous", "beautilicious", and "fabulistic".
This is another nerd - vs.- popular kids story, and it was clear what the outcome was going to be like. The characters are really stereotypical. Brainiac Millicent has an intellectual uncle as well as super-intelligent parents; while pretty Fiona is perfect in every way, in terms of clothing, style, and popularity.
It was really absurd how all the students just immediately flocked and groveled to the kids from Pretty Liddy's right after they arrived. Even Millicent's friends ignored her after Fiona's overly dramatic, Hollywood-style arrival. They didn't really have to act like mindless zombies, which were exactly what they were compared to in the book. It shocked me even more when even the principal and teachers listened to them. You'd think they'd have the sense not to worship a bunch of kids who put them down because of their clothing.
The Model President certainly was an unfabulistic story for me, unfortunately.
2 comments:
The truly horrible thing is that my 5th grader would no doubt adore this book. *Sigh* Is giving it to her the equivalent of letting her eat Pop Tarts?
lol...maybe, but it's up to you.
Post a Comment