I, Lorelei

I, Lorelei
by Yeardley Smith

I, LORELEI by Yeardley Smith

Category:

Contemporary

Age Recommendation:

Grades 6+

Release Date: 1/27/09

Publisher: Laura Geringer

Reviewed by:

Rating:

4 Stars

Lorelei Connelly has decided she will start journaling about her life to her cat Mud, who recently died. She wants to

be able to tell Mud what he’s missing and also give her future biographers something to write about when she is

famous. Her journal to Mud starts out with her everyday activities and Lorelei’s foray into theater with her middle

school production of

Peter Pan

When Lorelei’s parent’s marriage starts to fall apart, her journal to Mud becomes a place for Lorelei to share her

feelings and try to understand what is happening to her family. Lorelei’s dad starts to take all the furniture, her mom

goes on a nanny hiring streak, and poor Lorelei is stuck in the middle.

Yeardley Smith is the voice of Lisa Simpson on

The Simpsons

, so I’m not surprised to see a smart girl as the lead of

I, LORELEI. At times I even felt there was a little bit of Lisa in Lorelei.

Lorelei is a strong character and a great role model. She stands up to the mean popular girl and the school bully and

doesn’t let them bother her. She goes against the grain and befriends the unpopular girl at school. Lorelei’s journal is

full of laughs as well as her heartbreak over her parents. Not only is Lorelei dealing with things at home, but she’s

also coming into her own and trying to figure life out at school, boys, and friends.

This is a humorous, touching read that I’m sure will resonate with tween readers.