Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

  • Apple
  • Android
  • Windows Phone
  • Android

To get the free app, enter your email address or mobile phone number.
Download to your computer
Kindle Cloud Reader
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
Qty:1
  • List Price: $10.99
  • Save: $1.80 (16%)
FREE Shipping on orders with at least $25 of books.
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Popular: How a Geek in Pe... has been added to your Cart
Want it tomorrow, March 29? Order within and choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
Ship to:
Select a shipping address:
To see addresses, please
or
Please enter a valid US zip code.
or
+ $3.99 shipping
Used: Good | Details
Sold by GoodwillBooks
Condition: Used: Good
Comment: Sound copy that may show minimal signs of wear or previous ownership.

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon
Flip to back Flip to front
Listen Playing... Paused   You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more
See all 2 images

Popular: How a Geek in Pearls Discovered the Secret to Confidence Paperback – April 21, 2015

by Maya Van Wagenen (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 173 customer reviews
See all 3 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions
Price
New from Used from
Hardcover
"Please retry"
$15.60
$3.29 $0.01
Paperback
"Please retry"
$9.19
$2.98 $2.98
Books with Buzz
Books with Buzz
Discover the latest buzz-worthy books, from mysteries and romance to humor and nonfiction. Explore more
$9.19 FREE Shipping on orders with at least $25 of books. In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Frequently Bought Together

  • Popular: How a Geek in Pearls Discovered the Secret to Confidence
  • +
  • American Born Chinese
  • +
  • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Total price: $24.57
Buy the selected items together

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.
Back
  1. Betty Cornell’s Teen-Age Popularity Guide
    Betty Cornell
    4.0 out of 5 stars 20
    Hardcover
    $16.00 Prime
  2. American Born Chinese
    Gene Luen Yang
    4.4 out of 5 stars 295
    Paperback
    $6.64 Prime
  3. The Crossover
    Kwame Alexander
    4.7 out of 5 stars 258
    Hardcover
    $10.36 Prime
  4. Buzz Kill
    Beth Fantaskey
    4.1 out of 5 stars 38
    Paperback
    $8.99 Prime
  5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
    Sherman Alexie
    4.5 out of 5 stars 1,335
    #1 Best Seller in Children's Native American…
    Paperback
    $8.74 Prime
  6. Laughing at My Nightmare
    Shane Burcaw
    4.8 out of 5 stars 130
    #1 Best Seller in Teen & Young Adult Diseases…
    Hardcover
    $14.81 Prime
Next
NO_CONTENT_IN_FEATURE

Product Details

  • Age Range: 12 and up
  • Grade Level: 7 and up
  • Lexile Measure: 0730 (What's this?)
  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Speak (April 21, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0147512549
  • ISBN-13: 978-0147512543
  • Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 0.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (173 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsFor anyone who ever felt unsure of themselves, this book is for you.
By Jeann @ Happy Indulgence on April 15, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
This review appears on Happy Indulgence at happyindulgencebooks.com

Popular is an incredible, hilarious, and achingly honest and emotional memoir about popularity. It asks and answers, what is the definition of being popular? Is it to have the most friends, be the most respected and known at school, is it to be the prettiest or the one that is best at sports?

Maya Van Wagenen’s journey is a real life social experiment and she’s written her day to day accounts of following a vintage guide to popularity - Betty Cornell’s Teenage Popularity Guide. Each chapter, she follows a different part of the Guide, and slowly works her way up to the major changes she’ll have to make. It’s sprinkled with charming photos of her and her family, and Maya’s honesty, wit and bravery shines through her words and her photos.

At the start, Maya is an insecure teenager at the bottom of her schools’ social ladder. She feels fat and ugly and gets teased and bullied by countless people at school. Seeing her transformation into a confident, self-assured girl who makes a mark on her peers was extraordinary. From changing her hair everyday, to wearing vintage 1950s gear to school, to sitting at different tables dominated by the different subgroups at school, nothing is out of bounds in her quest for popularity. No matter how embarrassing it is, Maya is to be admired for her bravery and devotion to Betty Cornell’s advice.

The glimpses of the rough neighbourhood on the Mexican border that Maya lived in were fascinating, as a world so different from mine. Mexican drug lords making a deal? No problem. Pregnant teens and gangster members at her school? Sure. The school under threat from an armed assailant? Just another walk in the park.Read more ›
1 Comment 34 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
5.0 out of 5 starsSimply Wonderful
By Madisyn Ashmore on April 17, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I bought this book after seeing an online interview with the author (Kathy and Hoda?) - I was curious, so I downloaded the Kindle sample and was smitten. This girl can write! This is a fun book - I read it in a night - and enjoyed it so much. I can't wait to see what the future holds for author Maya Van Wagenen - I am pretty sure this is the first of many great books she will write. Looking forward to her next book. Oh, and in the meantime, I might just have to read Betty Cornell's original book that inspired Maya. :-)
Comment 14 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
5.0 out of 5 starsYES, buy this book! It's wonderful!!!
By Krista Brooks on May 10, 2014
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
I belong to a Young Adult book group (I'm just about to turn 50 but I still love reading kid lit and YA novels... good ones). And this is a GREAT one. My friend who has a 14 year old daughter told me about this book so I looked into it. Love that it's a memoir. Love the theme and I wish I had this book when I was in school. I suggested it to our book group and we decided to all read it. I thought I'd read it and pass it along to my friend's daughter, but I think I'll have to keep it. I'll definitely would enjoy reading it again. I'll buy another copy to give to my friend's daughter. Again, I can't tell you how delighted I am with the whole thing. Her awesomely supportive family, the whole idea of how she followed Betty's 1950's book to the letter (vaseline on the eyelids and wearing panty girdles! Who knew they still even made panty girdles!), and Maya's utter bravery. Wow. I could not have done that at her age. I'm not sure I could do it now. What I didn't realize when I first heard about the book is that she told no one that's what she was doing, following the advice of this 1950's book. No one except her family knew, not even her best friend Kenzie. Where it REALLY got me was the month of April's theme: "A Popular Attitude". And then everything starts tying together. It's a wonderful lesson for anyone at any age. No spoilers here (that's a pet peeve of mine) but you will NOT be disappointed. I am so thrilled for Maya. It was a wonderful read. And such a satisfying ending. There's not one little thing I didn't adore. Can't wait for the movie. Also, kudus go out to whoever designed and illustrated the book cover. Love. Love. Love.
1 Comment 10 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
5.0 out of 5 starsA brave and Impressive Work!
By Brenda R. Dennis on April 23, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I saw Maya on the Today show and was so intrigued with her idea that I just had to read this book. I was really impressed by her bravery and innovation. The book is well written and really clever. I'm a grown up but was struck by the notion that these lessons really apply in all stages of life. This is a book that all ages can enjoy. I can't wait to see the movie!
Comment 9 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
5.0 out of 5 starsEnchanting and wise
By Dinucci on April 18, 2014
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
I read it before I gave it to my daughter. I did laugh out loud, it brings us all back to 8th grade. It's very relate-able. And as you read, you think. It's often said that we learn through our children. This puts the things into perspective in a fun way. Great book for any middle school girl (regardless of their "popularity"). Update - my daughter is 80% through and loves the way Maya writes, she doesnt always read what I recommend but this time she did!
Comment 8 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
5.0 out of 5 starsWish I had a book like this when I was in Middle School!
By yvonne j welther on April 17, 2014
Format: Hardcover
I'm giving this to my soon-to- be-middleschooler. Very honest, sweet and I can relate.Heck I'm still a geek:) Great read.
Comment 10 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
5.0 out of 5 starsLoved it!
By Jill Reed on April 18, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I couldn't help falling in love with Maya and her family as she goes on this "journey" to be popular. She has a way of telling a story that makes you feel like you are experiencing it right along with her. I laughed at her witty, sarcastic comments and felt her sadness when she experienced pain. It has been a treat to read her honest, heartfelt memoir.
Comment 7 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse

Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 starsNot bad, but better for a younger crowd

Read this one for book club, but felt too old for this book. I'm not really into being popular, as I am more of an independent introvert, but there was some sage advice about being... Read more

Published 13 days ago by April C. Garff
3.0 out of 5 starsSome good messages, some bad, and a general sense of unreality

So, I kept thinking that this book has to be fiction. For one thing, the quality of the writing just doesn't seem to match with a seventh-grader writer. Read more

Published 22 days ago by Dione Basseri
5.0 out of 5 starsBeautiful

2015 Rating System: 5

I really enjoyed this book. I spend every moment since opening the book reading it. It was that good. It was also a let down in some ways as well. Read more

Published 23 days ago by Mind Blowing Review Girl
5.0 out of 5 starsPopular

A great trip down memory lane and a reminder of how to treat others. This book made me laugh and and think about life.

Published 1 month ago by Amy M.
5.0 out of 5 starsBeautiful!

Loved the book. Beautiful story and cleverly written.

Published 1 month ago by leonaxmas
4.0 out of 5 starsLight enjoyable look into "popularity"

Maya begins an experiment that ends up containing lessons for life long success. The book highlights the truth that time and age are do not change the feelings of acceptance by... Read more

Published 2 months ago by RMS
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

great book

Published 3 months ago by Vamom
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

My daughter really enjoyed this book.

Published 3 months ago by Felicia
5.0 out of 5 starsMust read!

As a reader, I laughed and hurt with Maya throughout the book. She shows a maturity and real understanding of the human spirit that few people are able to grasp. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsAdvice even adults can use!

Betty Cornel wrote Teenage Popularity Guide in 1951, which focused on becoming popular, wearing the right clothes and makeup, and how to be good hostess. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Whatwillshereadnext

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

Popular: How a Geek in Pearls Discovered the Secret to Confidence
Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more
This item: Popular: How a Geek in Pearls Discovered the Secret to Confidence
Set up a giveaway

There's a problem loading this menu right now.

Learn more about Amazon Prime.