Cardinal rule #1 for surviving school: Don't get noticed by the meankids.

Cardinal rule #2 for surviving school: Seek out groups with similarinterests and join them.

On her first day at her new school,Penelope--Peppi--Torres reminds herself of these basics. But when she trips intoa quiet boy in the hall, Jaime Thompson, she's already broken the first rule,and the mean kids start calling her the "nerder girlfriend." How does she handlethis crisis? By shoving poor Jaime and running away!

Falling back on ruletwo and surrounding herself with new friends in the art club, Peppi still can'thelp feeling ashamed about the way she treated Jaime. Things are already awkwardenough between the two, but to make matters worse, he's a member of her ownclub's archrivals--the science club! And when the two clubs go to war, Peppirealizes that sometimes you have to break the rules to survive middleschool!

Visual artist(s): Svetlana Chmakova