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Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee

Summary

Girl genius, Millicent Min, is 11 years old and clueless about how to make friends. When her mother makes her attend a volleyball camp she thinks her world will come to an end. But instead she makes a friend, Emily. She doesn't tell Emily she's a genius because she's afraid Emily won't like her anymore. But secrets like that are hard to keep, especially when she's forced to tutor Stanford Wong, her nemesis, in math and Stanford and Emily like each other. Can even a genius manage to keep all the lies straight?

Booktalk

Millicent may be a certified genius, but she doesn't have a clue about how to make and keep friends. By age 11 she's been on TV shows, won the state math bowl, been on the Dean's list every semester in High School (yes, she's a senior in HIGH SCHOOL!), and finally talked her mother into letting her take a college class. But there's a catch: she also has to take a volleyball class and tutor Stanford Wong, the stupidest boy in school! So, she starts volleyball class, even though "...[it] is not my idea of a pleasant way to while away an afternoon." But volleyball ends up bringing her an opportunity she never imagined…making a friend her own age…if she can keep her genius a secret…and her lies straight.

248 pages, 5th grade and up

Discussion questions

Warning! Some of the questions contain key elements of the plot. Do not read if you don't want to know what happens!

  1. Describe Millicent. What are her strengths? What are her weaknesses?
  2. Have you ever known a genius? How did that person fit in?
  3. Which of these characters would you like to be: Millicent, Emily, or Stanford? Why?
  4. Have you ever moved to a new school? How did you make friends?
  5. If you could jump into college right now, would you?
  6. How do you think you would cope with college at your age?
  7. Were Millicent's parents right to focus on her social development?
  8. What do you think will happen in the future to Millicent?

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