All-American Girl

August 11, 2003
In another teen-pleasing novel from the author of the Princess Diaries books, a feisty 15-year-old self-described "urban rebel" finds that her life suddenly changes when she foils an attempt to assassinate the president. "A convincing and diverting tale," PW
said in a starred review. Ages 12-up.

October 1, 2002
Gr 5-10-While waiting for her ride home from an after-school art class, Samantha Madison, a sophomore at John Adams Preparatory School in Washington, DC, inadvertently saves the President's life by jumping on the back of a would-be assassin. Suddenly, she is a celebrity, invited to the White House for dinner, named the teen ambassador to the U.N., and revered by her fellow classmates. Yet, even her new star status doesn't allow her to get what she really wants-a date with her sister's boyfriend, Jack. Hoping to make him jealous, she asks out the President's son. The plan backfires, but Samantha discovers who she really is in the process. Cabot uses vision as a metaphor for how a budding artist grows to "see" herself and others more clearly. The first-person narrative contains Samantha's top-10 lists between chapters, adding to the hilarious plot. The setting is used to interject a few historical facts about the White House and its former residents without intruding on the entertaining story. Readers will enjoy Samantha's interactions with the other delightful characters, especially her sisters. Cabot fully understands teens, their language, and their world. There are at least 10 reasons why libraries will want to own this book, but the most important one is that it simply will not stay on the shelves.-Linda L. Plevak, Saint Mary's Hall, San Antonio, TX

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2003
Combat-boot-wearing individualistic artist Sam (Samantha) Madison takes national celebrity in stride after saving the president from assassination--but finds it more difficult to discern her true feelings for David, the president's nice (but geeky) son. Cabot narrates engrossing situations in an authentic and likable teen voice--this is romance at its wish-fulfilling finest.

(Copyright 2003 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

October 1, 2002
Gr. 9-12. Cabot, author of the best-selling Princess Diaries series, offers another hilarious, page-turning fantasy about an outsider who is thrown into the glamorous spotlight. Unlike her older sister Lucy, high-school sophomore Samantha lurks on the edges of her school's social scene. Her passions are art and, unfortunately, Lucy's boyfriend Jack, a rebellious teen artist who lives in the same toney Washington, D.C., suburb. When Samantha inadvertently saves the president from an attempted assassination, her life drastically alters: she not only becomes a national hero and the "it" girl at her school but also ends up dating the president's cute son. Absurdly far-fetched? Absolutely, but like Cabot's previous books, that's exactly why this is so much fun. Cabot throws in plenty of obstacles and well-paced social angst to keep up the suspense, making Sam's romantic happy ending hard earned. There's also surprising depth in the characters and plenty of authenticity in the cultural details and the teenage voices--particularly in Sam's poignant, laugh-out-loud narration. Expect this to fly off the shelves.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)