• ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  • SCHOOL VISITS
  • WATCH THIS!
  • NEW BOOK!
  • WE ARE PARTY PEOPLE
  • IF I WERE YOU
  • THE ANNABELLE UNLEASHED SERIES
  • THE MAGGIE BROOKLYN SERIES
  • OTHER WRITING
  • NEWS & EVENTS

Leslie Margolis children's author

We Are Party People, If I Were You, The Annabelle Unleashed and Maggie Brooklyn series.

THE ANNABELLE UNLEASHED SERIES

Boys Are Dogs by Leslie Margolis

Annabelle’s all-girls elementary was very different from Birchwood Middle School where the boys run through the halls like wild animals. But with a little experimenting, Annabelle realizes that like her new puppy, maybe boys can be trained too.

Featuring Annabelle’s hilarious take on friendship, boys, and her all-new life, this novel / survival guide perfectly captures the joy—and agony—of junior high school. And it might just teach you how to tame the wildest beast of all, the teenage boy.

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Reviews for Boys Are Dogs

“The premise of Margolis’s effervescent story—a girl uses the techniques from a dog-training manual on boys—has been seen before (e.g., Sandra Dee in If a Man Answers), but rarely has it been so well grounded and developed. Right before the start of sixth grade, Annabelle returns from sleepaway camp to move into the house that her single mother and her mother’s sensitive if geeky boyfriend have just set up. Their surprise gift of a puppy, Annabelle realizes, is their attempt to “bribe” her into liking the new arrangements, but she loves the puppy anyway. School, on the other hand, is a battleground, especially because it’s Annabelle’s first time going coed. Margolis gets the details of middle-school boy behavior just right: the boy sitting behind Annabelle torments her with endless kicking; her two lab partners hog the equipment; others play keep-away with her homework. When Annabelle does connect the dots between puppy training and communicating with boys, her breakthroughs come across as genuine. The story lines—melded household, moving, boys as dogs—coalesce naturally, giving girl readers a thoughtful story along with, just possibly, some substantive boy advice.”
• Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Sweeties, you *must* read this wonderful book. IT HAS SO MUCH GREAT ADVICE ABOUT BOYS IN IT!!!!! All that, and a fabulous, funny, warm-hearted story, too. Read! Read! Read!!!!”
• Lauren Myracle, bestselling author of The Winnie Years, Internet Girls, and the Flower Power Books

“Fresh, fun, and full of heart, BOYS ARE DOGS will empower girls while giving them the giggles at the same time.”
• Meg Cabot, author of the PRINCESS DIARIES and ALLIE FINKLE’S RULES FOR GIRLS

“A fab and funny new series! Every girl will find a new best friend in Annabelle Stevens.”
• Sarah Mlynowski, author of BRAS AND BROOMSTICKS and SPELLS AND SLEEPING BAGS

“Being the new kid in school is often hard enough, but Annabelle finds that dealing with the idiosyncrasies of sixth-grade boys is truly daunting. She misses her friends and doesn’t know how she feels about her mother’s live-in boyfriend, Ted. Then her mother and Ted surprise her with a puppy and a dog-training manual that proves to be a partial answer to some of her school dilemmas. Annabelle discovers that strategies in the manual can be transferred and tweaked to solve some of the boy issues at school. Using a mixture of confidence, ingenuity, and some excellent Swiss chocolates, she begins to change some difficult situations and behaviors for the better. This clever and humorous premise is deftly handled to create a believable and enjoyable tale with a likable and resourceful heroine whose trials, tribulations, and triumphs will have others wanting a training manual of their own.”
• School Library Journal

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Girls Acting Catty by Leslie Margolis

With a few puppy-training tips, Annabelle got the boys under control. But now a mean girl clique—Taylor and the Terrors—is threatening Annabelle’s group, and the trick she used on the boys aren’t working. Can catty mean girls be tamed? Pitch-perfect junior high ups and downs make this a delightful offering for fans of Boys Are Dogs and new readers alike.

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Reviews for Girls Acting Catty

‘In this well-written sequel to Boys Are Dogs (Bloomsbury, 2008), sixth-grader Annabelle continues to adjust to the changes in her life. She’s happy and confident, but she feels a bit unsettled by the catty behavior of her new school’s mean girl clique, Taylor and the Terrible T’s. They’re expert in being sneaky and putting everyone down, and Annabelle just doesn’t know how to handle it. In addition, her mom is getting married, and Annabelle’s new stepbrother-to-be is so handsome that she can’t help but have a crush on him. Margolis handles Annabelle’s minor crises with sensitivity and humor, whether describing her first experience shaving her legs, buying her first bra, or standing up for herself even when it means losing a friend. A good addition to collections where the first book is popular, as well as an appealing stand-alone.”
• Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY, School Library Journal

“A wonderfully engaging story with a lively and likable main character. Some of the themes and the fact that the kid characters are allowed to solve their problems without adult interference, even though there are loving adults all around, makes this book remind me of those by Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary… “
• Katie Zenke, Austin Children’s Book Examiner

“Leslie Margolis poignantly captures the ebb and flow of junior high through descriptive, realistic writing… Humorous and moving, this honest story is much more authentic than its simple title predicts.”
• Jennifer Morrin, Children’s Literature

“Annabelle’s first-person voice rings true.”
• Kirkus Reviews

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Everybody Bugs Out by Leslie Margolis

A couple of Annabelle’s friends already have dates for their first school dance and Annabelle knows exactly who to ask. There’s only one problem, her friend Claire also likes Oliver and she’s essentially called dibs. To make things worse, Annabelle has to partner with her secret crush on their science fair project. Leslie Margolis captures another unforgettable moment of junior high drama in this third book in the Annabelle Unleashed series.

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Reviews for Everybody Bugs Out

“Margolis delivers a vivacious third installment in the Annabelle Unleashed series. It is post-winter vacation, and Annabelle is full of New Year’s resolutions and hope for the new semester. However, her equanimity is short-lived, as she finds herself embroiled in a multitude of secrets. Two key events occurring over the upcoming Valentine’s Day weekend-the science fair and the first school dance-have created a moil of anxiety and intrigue among Annabelle and her friends. Annabelle silently nurtures a secret crush on her gregarious science-fair partner, Oliver. However, her silence leads to distress when good friend Claire openly declares her intent to ask Oliver to the dance. Is it too late for Annabelle to be honest with herself, her friend and Oliver about her crush? Annabelle also finds herself in a quandary when she discovers Emma’s boyfriend has cheated on his science-fair project; Annabelle must decide when it is OK to divulge a secret. Margolis’ breezy tone nicely conveys the peaks and valleys of middle-school life. Readers will be cheering for Annabelle as she struggles to extricate herself from this tangled web of subterfuge.”
• Kirkus Reviews

“Annabelle’s first year at a coed middle school continues to provide challenges and opportunities to observe that human and animal behavior are not all that far apart. This time is it the bugs that take center stage. It is February and everyone seems to be paired up in anticipation of the big Valentine’s Day dance except Annabelle. Even her secret crush/science-fair partner has been snatched away by her friend Claire before she could declare her interest in him. Since love doesn’t seem to be in the cards, can their project on how colors attract bugs at least win them first prize at the science fair? While the connection between bug attraction and first crushes is a bit of a stretch, Margolis makes a great attempt to make a case. Annabelle’s mix of confidence and anxiety is spot-on for tween readers, and this third installment in the series will not disappoint fans of the first two.”
• School Library Journal

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One Tough Chick by Leslie Margolis

Annabelle has tamed the wild boys, mastered the social hierarchy of catty mean girls, and bugged out over her first school dance. But now it’s time for the school talent show. Annabelle’s been asked to be a judge. Which is perfect . . . until her friends accuse Annabelle of playing favorites because her boyfriend Oliver asked for special treatment. Can Annabelle remain an impartial judge without hurting anyone’s feelings?

The trials and tribulations of middle school that make this series so relatable (and fun!) are back in full force in this fourth book.

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Monkey Business by Leslie Margolis

A huge music festival coming to town, and Annabelle and her friends can’t wait to rock out… that is if they can come up with enough cash to buy the expensive tickets. In this day and age, a regular old lemonade stand isn’t going to cut it. They’ll need to get creative, but agreeing on a strategy is harder than Annabelle thought, especially when her best friend, Rachel, has strong opinions that threaten not just their business model, but their friendship as well. With big plans—and big changes—afoot, this year will be one to remember.

Capturing the ups and downs of friendship, family, and middle school in her pitch perfect writing, Leslie Margolis keeps readers coming back for more of life according to Annabelle Stevens.

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Praise for The Annabelle Unleashed Novels

★ “An effervescent story… Margolis gets the details of middle-school boy behavior just right… A thoughtful story along with, just possibly, some substantive boy advice.”
• Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Sweeties, you must read this wonderful book. IT HAS SO MUCH GREAT ADVICE ABOUT BOYS IN IT!!!!! All that, and a fabulous, funny, warm-hearted story, too. Read! Read! Read!!!!”
• Lauren Myracle, bestselling author of The Winnie Years, Internet Girls, and the Flower Power Books

“This clever and humorous premise is deftly handled to create a believable and enjoyable tale with a likable and resourceful heroine whose trials, tribulations, and triumphs will have others wanting a training manual of their own.”
• School Library Journal

“Fresh, fun, and full of heart.”
• Meg Cabot, bestselling author of the Princess Diaries and Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls series

“This book was terrific! It was full of laughs… an enjoyable read for anyone, whether you are in junior high or just want to relive those memories!”
• TeenReadToo.com

“A fab and funny new series. Every girl will find a new best friend in Annabelle Stevens.”
• Sarah Mlynowski, author of the Whatever After series

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