Charles Synyard (@CharlesSynyard)

Finished reading The Popularity Trap (1988), the third book in the Fabulous Five series by Betsy Haynes. A timely serial, both then and now. Following on the successful Taffy Sinclair books, the Fabulous Five entries were coming out at the rate of one a month, and it so happened that The Popularity Trap, which is about a 7th grade class president election, came out in November 1988, so surely many parents picked up a copy for their preteen girls after casting a ballot for Mr. George H. W. Bush or Mr. Michael Dukakis. And would you believe it, I whiled away election night yesterday getting through the latter half of this book, and away from political sites, concluding my read to find the orange-skinned man’s victory, in a somewhat more consequential popularity contest, had just been assured. I love the cover art, which has a Renaissance vibe to it. Credited to Ralph Amatrudi, whom I read was a practiced artist more known for his work on romance novels, it depicts the scene on 69-70. Christie Winchell of the Fabulous Five has been pressed into running (so that the presidency will not go to Melissa McConnell, from the rival Fantastic Foursome girl clique), and as they‘ve nicknamed her Vitamin C, they’re in Jana Morgan’s kitchen, preparing to hand out oranges, with stickers telling classmates to vote for Christie, during lunch the next day. Jana, writing out a label, is just ecstatic, while Melanie Edwards, taking oranges out of the bag, beams with pride at their candidate. But Christie looks past Jana with a vacant stare. Why? We read that she’s thinking back to a face Jon Smith, a boy she likes whom she’s been tutoring in math, was making when she saw him in Bumpers, a burger joint where Wakeman Jr. High kids hang out. What was she thinking? she wonders, as she makes a mysterious face herself. The oranges add a touch of still life to the composition, too. The class president race itself could have been more interesting, but does bring out some good proposals while going a tad over the top. When it’s time to make a platform, Jana has this great idea. ”And what about a school mascot costume? We could try to get the school to buy an Indian outfit for the Wakeman Warriors, and someone could wear it to all the pep rallies and in parades and do Indian dances at all the games.” (40) Welcome as her proposal may have been on the eve of the 41st president’s election, I doubt the school administrators in Bridgeport, Connecticut (the series setting) would look as kindly on the proposal on the eve of the 47th‘s triumph. Melissa‘s big idea is to get rid of the gum tree, a tree on the grounds where kids stick their chewed gum, which she thinks gross but to others is a cherished tradition. Pretty and popular, the highlight of her candidacy is when her clique sings a song during lunch (54). Nationally, campaign songs aren‘t something we have anymore, except maybe online. As I noted, Christie’s interest in Jon is a secondary plotline. Christie‘s mother is the principal back at Mark Twain Elementary, and many teachers know her, which leads her friends to promise she’ll have “pull” if elected. In reality, she feels obligated to do favors for her elders, and so is asked to tutor Jon. At first, he is very hostile and rude, and it’s clear he hasn’t even been trying. His parents are television personalities, and he’s tired of kids buddying up to get close to them (Haynes’s mother was a newscaster, so she knows whereof she writes). But when Jon learns Christie was put up to it, and isn’t getting paid, he becomes much more friendly, and his work immediately improves. After boy crazy Melanie’s shallow crushes in the last book, Christie and Jon are refreshingly earnest and heartfelt. I liked this tender exchange. ”If you keep being the person everybody else thinks you should be, you’ll never find out who the real Christie is[,” Jon said.] ”And if you keep copping out,” she added, looking deep into his eyes, “you’ll never know how special you can be.” (72) Whether they start dating like Jana and Randy Kirwan, remains to be seen. One surprise, that I found hard to believe, is that Curtis Trowbridge, “nerd of the world” from his Mark Twain days, who had a longtime and very unrequited crush on Jana, already has a girlfriend at Wakeman, Whitney Larkin! There’s a nice scene of them holding hands, and him not wanting to hear a secret without her, on 91. Women authors. They know, and know well, that their are guys no girl would ever want to be with, yet feel bad about not pairing these untouchables off, too… once they’re safely spurned by the leads whom readers see themselves in. Think Charlie Sloane in the Anne books. As it happens, Christie and Jon devise a plan to save her from being elected to an office she doesn’t want, without throwing the race to Melissa. They make posters announcing write-in “mystery candidate”, and only later recruit Curtis for the job! As reporter for the school newspaper, the Smoke Signal or Sig in keeping with the Indian theme, he already knows kids from all three elementary schools and is uniquely qualified and trusted. Read for yourself to see his this rather littler presidential contest turns out! Next up will be the fourth book, Her Honor, Katie Shannon. #BetsyHaynes #ThePopularityTrap #RalphAmatrudi #coverart #art #artists #illustrators #elections #juniorhigh #middleschool #school #popularitycontest #romance #hypergamy #ssh #childrensliterature #childrensbooks #literature #books