Agnes Parker... Keeping Cool in Middle School

by Kathleen O'Dell

Agnes Parker is going to middle school, and there's plenty of drama! Middle school is going to take some getting used to. Agnes's best friend, Prejean, has jumped in and decided to run for class president, but Agnes would rather try to be invisible. That'll be difficult now that Prejean has asked Agnes to be her campaign manager. And then there's Aram, a boy in Agnes's art class who seems to have a crush on her. He's smart and funny, and Agnes feels comfortable around him. But is he such an odd duck that she'll seem odd by association?

"O’Dell’s writing perfectly captures the painful and sometimes funny middle-school years. Agnes will once again charm readers with her sweet and generous nature, even as she navigates the new and scary world of seventh grade. Thoughtful and captivating."— Kirkus Reviews , starred review

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Coming Of Age, Young Adult, Contemporary

160 pages, Paperback

First published July 5, 2007

Reviews

[Ayanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing its all about this girl named Agnes she wants to fit in but she has one problem its this one boy that has a crush on Agnes. she joined the art program and she is the assistaint and Aram is the manager. so Agnes wants to go out with an eight grader but she goes back to the girls locker room and looks for her phone but its not there so she askes aram did he see her phone and he said no so she said you were in the locker room filling the dirty towles with clean ones and he said i know but i was the only one in there and it was jessica to but she left as soon as she got in there. Agnes you have to belive me do u belive me?NO i dont how could u not see someone stealing stuff out of my bag. I really think you stole it Aram cause you never come in and see me or eat lunch with me or talk to me to i really think u stole it. I really did not steal it i would never do that to u. But Agnes does not belive him so she said leave her alone to aram so he did not talk to her for 3 weeks and Jessica came and told Agnes that she had her phone cause it was ringing and she was trying to get u so u could answer it. Agnes told Aram that she was sorry but Aram was so mad at her he made her cry and he sid he never wanted to talk to her again bacause she does not trust him and if she does not trust him then he cant be her friend!. So Agnes was sad and miserable that she did not belive Aram when he was telling the truth and Agnes lost a friend that year and she thought it was going to be the best year but it turned out to be the worst year of 7th grade ever.

[Pooja Dimba · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of point less. The ending is horrible. As for I am always hating endings in books now a days.

[Kaylee]

It is an interesting book!
It talks about a regular middle-schooler going through life!!
Great Book:)

[Evy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agnes Parker is NOT the typical seventh grader. And Kathleen O'Dell is NOT the typical author of stories that kids can relate to. In fact, she is probably the awesomest on the shelf! O'Dell rounds the characters so well they are nearly alive; they jump out of the page and share their knowing ways and excitement with the reader. Though AGNES PARKER...KEEPING COOL IN MIDDLE SCHOOL is not exactly the book for those who prefer adventure stories, it is still a best-read in my point of view. O'Dell doesn't exactly describe her characters as much as preferred, but describes their actions fully.
Agnes Parker. It sounds like a really nerdy name to a lot of seventh graders, but with an artistic touch. This is what I realized when I read the cover of the book. This is one of what I believe to be a 'hidden secret.' Hidden secrets may or may not be put there by the author, but eventually the observant reader reveals them and takes notice of its presence and/or meaning. So in this way, Kathleen O'Dell describes her character Agnes. Agnes is a bit nerdy on the outside with glasses and short, mousy brown hair (or that is how I translate the picture of her), but if you pay attention closely you notice that the glasses are thin and look cute on her face, and that her brown hair fits her image perfectly. If only Agnes herself knew this.

Agnes Parker is not your average seventh grader. She and her best friend, Prejean, are fighting their way through the year, falling in with misfits but never outcasts. But is that what Agnes really wants? Prejean's been running on the track now every day; her parents are fighting, and Prejean simply can't sit still to think about it. And the eighth-grade boys, MAN, how obnoxious they are! Always grading the seventh-grade girls' looks as they pass by in the hallway. But it isn't so bad, yet...Agnes meets Aram, a boy in her art class. They both have the same passion for art and share the same feelings about the art teacher, Ms. Felson-Morales...HAPPINESS.
When Prejean runs for class prez, Agnes's world falls apart. She's so stressed, and so is Prejean. Prejean stops eating and worries so much, and just to help out Agnes is forced to become a campaign manager. When Prejean can't deliver her speech because she gets an ulcer, UH-OH! Agnes is sent to do it for her! She messes up and at the end the eighth-grade boys throw pennies at the stage! How horrible she made it for Prejean. And worse...there is a secret between Agnes and Aram.
Will Agnes's world ever be the same? Will Prejean get better, and will Aram's secret finally spill? FIND OUT IN AGNES PARKER...KEEPING COOL IN MIDDLE SCHOOL by Kathleen O'Dell.

[Diamond∾Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in love with this book. Ever since I checked it out of the library, I couldn't put it down. It actually relates to things that real kids have to go through in middle school. I feel like Prejean is me in the book. And Agnes is my best friend Alexis, everything isn't exactly the same. But.... we can still relate to it. Like how Prejean starts to shut down because of everything happening at once, and so fast! Agnes steps in for her at the election to do Prejeans speech, Prejean had came down with an ulcer. It's a cure-able disease that happens to the stomach when you get really depressed. Or in Prejeans case you get really S.T.R.E.S.S.E.D out. Sadly Prejeans had ended up in the hospital because of an ulcer.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was relatable to a middle school situation and The friend situation was realistic. In middle school a fair amount of bullying goes around and that is what Prejan was fighting for. Anges best friend prejans running for 7th grade president to stop the eighth grade boys from rating the girls. On prejans election day, Anges screws up the speech and prejan is vice president. Andes tries to be invisable. Aram is hanging out with anges because they are both the art room "manager". Anges later on thinks aram likes him and anges pushes him away. Later though, anges asks aram to the school dance and they dance... awkwardly.

[Rilah Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had this book on my shelf and never got to it. One day I wasn't in the mood for any YA books. When I saw it. So I thought why not?
I picked it up thinking it would a rip off of diary of a wimpy kid. I read it in one sitting and absolutely enjoyed it. I could not stop reading. It was seriously relatable.
And just the ending to it was adorable! It's was such a cute and fluffy read!
This read was also very quirky.
Defiantly recommend it.

[Hanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Agnes just wants to be invisible, but that doesn't seem to work when her best friend Prejean decides to run for school president. She wants Agnes to be her campaign manager. She is good at art, and a boy named Aram decides to help her. Will Agnes keep her invisibleness and shyness, or will she get all popular and be emdarrassed? READ THE BOOK!

[Cortlyne R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave a 4 to Keeping Cool in Middle School because it was good but it wasn’t the best book I have read. It’s about a girl who is a 6th grader and it’s her first year at the middle school. She was a little bit nervous at first but then she got used to it. I could relate to this book because I was a little bit nervous about my first day here when I was a 6th grader.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is good book.

Its about a girl called Anges. She is in 7th grade. She is trying to survive middle School. She thiks the best idea is to stay invisabel. Only way to express her self. Her freind Prejeans is running for presedent. She wantas to complain about the 8th grade boys grading them from 1 to 10.

This is a great book. And will Anges come out of her shell.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Middle school is going to take some getting used to. The halls are hectic, the unspoken rules are baffling, and the eighth-grade boys are one big gang of bullies."

This book is filled with different adventures and action that Agnes Parker (the main character) faces in her life at Middle School. I think anyone can relate to what goes on in her middle school...

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not my standard book as I tend to have trouble getting through "girl" books. I thought this book was really good as Agnes suddenly finds herself feeling disconnected from her grade school friends. This book would be great for anyone (everyone) who suddenly feels as if they don't belong.

[Amber B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book so far is good because these 2 girls are best friends and prjean decides to enter track and her other friend is sort of mad at her it is a good book at the beginning because i am only half way through it but it is good

[Taylor]

I really like this book. When I read this book I was in sixth grade so after I read this book I thought that middle school couldn't be that bad. Then when I got to middle school it wasn't bad at all. This book really taught me a lot of things.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright. I have liked others better.

[Mmmis4meg]

REALLY GOOD! Finished it in like 2 hrs!! v. good

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

All i can say is...it was an okay book.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned that this book is a girls book. I think that you will like it if you are a girl my age. I did!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending was sweet. <3

[Alli]

looks great... hope it's great!

[Damaris · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was a little boring :(

[*Taria Star* Glenn · Rating 1 out of 5]

romance it is so sweet i love this book so much any body can read it.

[Megan Waid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book at first then as I got closer to finishing this book. It got a little boring.

[Haley Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading this book years ago! It was cute.

[Juliet24 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was sweet how Agnes finally accepts Arams crush on her. Also I thought it was also sweet when Aram was offering to carry Agnes' books.

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far it is a great book! A book that shows character and the fun and hardships of middle school, witch I will face next year.

[Fatima Fisiru]

Agnes Parker is in Middle School with her best friend Prejean. Aram, a boy in Agnes's art class, Looks As If he has a crush on her. Its an interesting book about Keeping Cool In Middle School.

[Emily]

it was good.

[Mikayla Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book.

[Erin O'connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. O'Dell must have daughters because she knows exactly what really goeson!