It's Not Easy Being Bad — Cynthia Voigt

Now that they're in seventh grade, Mikey and Margalo decide it's time to be popular -- or at least, time to be less unpopular. The trouble is, typical, normal kids are what work in junior high, and if there's one thing Mikey and Margalo aren't, it's typical and normal.

Mikey's first attempt to crack seventh grade society ends, predictably, in disaster, but, undaunted, the friends persevere. They've got the will, they've got the smarts, and most importantly, they've got each other. What chance does junior high have against the Bad Girls?