The Boy Problem: Notes and Predictions of Tabitha Reddy

by Kami Kinard

Overview

This companion novel to THE BOY PROJECT is the perfect "next step" for fans of DORK DIARIES.

Tabitha "Tabbi" Reddy believes in signs. Like fortune cookies. Magic 8-Balls. Shooting stars. And this year, she hopes, looking for the right signs will lead her to the right boy! Inspired by her BFF, Kara (star of THE BOY PROJECT), Tabbi starts her own "project" in the hopes of finding a cute crush. With the help of a math lesson on probability, Tabbi tries to predict who the right boy for her might be! Where is she most likely to meet him? What is he most likely to look like? Full of fun illustrations, hilarious equations, and lessons in cupcake-baking, life, love, and friendship, this book has a 100% probability of awesomeness. A perfect "next step" for fans of DORK DIARIES.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545580434
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	04/29/2014
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	43 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kami Kinard enjoys writing about the boyfriend quest more than she enjoyed experiencing it. A teaching artist on the SC Arts Commission's Roster of Approved Artists, she writes from Beaufort, South Carolina, where she lives with her husband and two children. Please visit her online at: www.kamikinard.com.

Read an Excerpt

From THE BOY PREDICTION:Most people don't think it's possible to predict the future. I'm one of the exceptions.I believe in signs--little clues that hint at things that might happen someday. You just have to be open to seeing them.My BFF, Kara McAllister, doesn't think like I do. She's what you'd call a cynic. I mean, a sign can be right in front of her face, pointing her down the road to future events, but she'd rather figure out a way to explain why it isn't a sign at all than go ahead and believe that it is one.Earlier tonight a VERY OBVIOUS sign landed right under my nose. Literally. I know that it means something FANTASTIC is going to happen to me this year! But did Kara interpret it the way I did? Well . . . I'm not exactly sure.We'd gone to Triple Slice Pizza with Kara's boyfriend, Chip, to celebrate the last Friday before the start of the new school year. Kara and Chip sat on one side of the booth. I sat on the other. Alone.So even though they PROMISED that I wasn't one, I pretty much felt like a third wheel before we even placed our order. You don't have to be a math genius (and trust me, I'm not) to figure out these two equations: 2 + 1 = Third Wheel3 - 1 = DateDUH!"You're NOT a third wheel," said Kara, who was holding hands with Chip under the table."Yes, I am," I said. "And it looks like I'm going to be one forever. I'll never find the right guy!" Anyway, I was about to put the pizza down on the table when Kara looked over my shoulder and said, "Hey, an absolutely adorable guy just walked in who totally looks like a third wheel! Let's invite him to sit with you!"I looked over my shoulder. I shouldn't have.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for THE BOY PROBLEM: NOTES AND PREDICTIONS OF TABITHA REDDY:"For any spirited, entrepreneurial teen that's ever had a crush, this sweet read is sprinkled with lessons on life, love and business." — KIRKUS REVIEWSPraise for THE BOY PROJECT: NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS OF KARA MCALLISTER:"This debut novel is a rollicking ride through middle-school affairs of the heart. With a premise that is original, a unique layout featuring Kara's note cards and charts, and timely references to Facebook and books like INKHEART this story feels like today. Kara's wicked sense of humor and her ability to navigate the waters of love and friendship will give readers in similar situations hope, especially as Kara slowly realizes that best friends trump crushes any day." — BOOKLIST"[F]or the girl bent on hooking a particular fish, Kara's advice might do the trick." — THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS"Kara's boy-crazy experiment lends refreshing perspective on teen relationships, and the results point to self-enlightenment." — KIRKUS REVIEWS"[Kinard] hits all the right notes as Kara learns that first opinions are rarely accurate and that the scientific method does not always apply to human beings." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY"[Kara's] convincing voice gives an authentic account of this awkward age." — SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

From the Publisher

04/01/2014
Gr 6–10—Tabitha Reddy has been unlucky in love as of late, but her belief in the power of prediction means that she's starting to see signs that things are looking up. Once she's assigned a probability project, she sees the perfect opportunity to use math as a means to predict her romantic future. The Boy Problem feels like several books at once—one about life as a seventh grader, one about a budding cupcake business, and another about a girl hunting for a boyfriend. The concept of a young teenager using a math instead of guesswork as a way to predict the future is an interesting one, but the convenient solutions to problems and lack of character development weaken the book as a whole. The stakes are raised as the story progresses and the plotline about the cupcake business is interesting, but it gets drowned out by the melodrama. The diary format and light material may appeal to struggling readers, but it is not a necessary purchase.—Erinn Black Salge, Saint Peter's Prep, Jersey City, NJ

School Library Journal

2014-02-26
Middle schooler Tabitha, Kara's BFF from The Boy Project (2012), is looking for a boyfriend in this perky sequel. Boy-crazy Tabitha is a big believer in signs as predictors of the future. In the opening scene, she decides that the spilled pizza cheese is an indicator that there is a Mr. Right for her after all. Though a smidge gushy and dramatic, Tabitha never lacks smarts. She uses all manner of data-collecting devices to figure out how to find her Mr. Right, from surveys and cootie catchers to the Magic 8 Ball. When she learns that her relatives have been hit by a hurricane, Tabitha and her best friends bake cupcakes as a fundraiser for her cousin's school. Predicting which cupcake flavors will be the most popular conveniently becomes her math-probability assignment, and all this ultimately helps solve the boy puzzle. The novel is liberally decorated with drawings and charts and rolls out in a chatty journal format. Tabitha's impulsiveness is tempered by maturing introspection and quirky observations: "It seems like the sky is the world's largest mood ring and it's currently displaying my mood to the entire world." As the girls struggle to make their fundraising goal, they learn about handling competition, working in partnership and even a little something about cyberbullying. For any spirited, entrepreneurial teen that's ever had a crush, this sweet read is sprinkled with lessons on life, love and business. (Fiction. 10-13)

Kirkus Reviews