I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter (2006)

Spy girl falls for normal guy.  What could possibly go wrong?

Recommended grade level: 7-10

Pages: 284 (for ISBN 9781423100034)

Genre(s) and keywords: adventure, spy, romance, humor, chick lit

Tone/Style: conspiratorial, humorous

Pace: moderate

Topics: spies, illicit romance, boarding schools

Themes: deception, desire for romance, desire to be normal

Summary: The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school—that is, if every school teaches advanced martial arts in PE, chemistry always consists of the latest in chemical warfare, and everyone breaks CIA codes for extra credit in computer class. So in truth, while the Gallagher Academy might say it’s a school for geniuses what they really mean is spies. But what happens when a Gallagher Girl falls for a boy who doesn’t have a code name?

Geek Girl by Holly Smale (2013)

This light, funny book speaks to the geek in all of us.

Recommended grade level: 6-10

Pages: 378 (for ISBN 9780007489442)

Genre(s) and keywords: humor, chick lit, British import, international, Europe (England)

Tone/Style: self-deprecating, geeky

Pace: moderate

Topics: modeling, geeks, crushes, fashion and style

Themes: reinventing oneself, friendship, leaving your comfort zone

Summary: Geek + runway = a runaway UK hit! Geek Girl is the first book in a hilarious, internationally bestselling series that’s perfect for fans of Louise Rennison and The Princess Diaries.

My Life in Pink and Green by Lisa Greenwald (2009)

A light read about a seventh grade girl who hopes to turn her skill in makeup artistry into a business that can save her family’s pharmacy.

Recommended grade level: 4-7

Pages: 272 (for ISBN 9780810983526)

Genre(s) and keywords: realistic fiction, chick lit