#1 Secret Diary: Secret Diary (Lou!, 1)

My daughter was overjoyed to get this comic. She LOVES Lou! :)

I loved it...such a good book I'm glad I read it. it shows the relationship of a mother and daughter.

Watch out if you have the the kids kindle tablet - my daughter is a very good reader and we upped the age to 12 - she’s 8 and she read some of this book and said to me she enjoyed the comic book style. She only read/ looked at the pictures of one of the books. But completely inappropriate for even 12-14 year olds. I so disappointed in Amazon for having this book in The kids kindle unlimited books- I’ll be calling to complain.

Dear Mom: "BEGONE! or I'll make you eat your weight in brussels sprouts." Even though Lou's Mom was cool, looking in her super secret diary was not, especially since there were things about her in there like she had zero style. Oh, and she was always sitting on the couch gaming and when she got up to cook it was disastrous. Lou and her Mom were "super close" because they were a solo act with no father in the picture. In fact Lou had never met him. Mina was her bff and they were super close too.Lou admitted to her diary that she thought she was gorgeous, but did have "a lot of hang-ups." She was "mega small" and the "Queen of Shyness!" Blech! Lou created her own clothes and all the other girls laughed at her. Like who cares? She'd just confide in her super secret diary and Mina because they did. It wouldn't be long before she'd be running something by Mina. Lou was up on the rooftop with her binoculars spying on Tristan, her crush, when all of a sudden he started to pick his nose ("Dig Dig Excavate"). Mina set her straight claiming, "So you've never picked your nose when you're alone?" Duh ...Mom was too busy gaming and pretending to write her novel to get a crush on anyone, but that would soon end. Lou and Mina would be trying to play matchmaker, introducing her to the new guy in the building, Richard. Lou would whip up an outfit so she'd be the belle of the party. Not. Lou's Mom had practically spoiled her chances with Tristan when she'd shown him her baby pictures. "And in this one, Lou's six months old and teething. Poor little thing. You can see what horrible diaper rash she had." WAAAAAH! Love might have been in the air, but would Mom ever get off that couch? Would Lou ever get a chance with Tristan after he'd seen that rash on her you know what?This is a refreshingly realistic look at a `tweener, Lou, and her not so secret life. Many graphic novels I see for this age group skirt around issues as if they feel prepubescent girls and boys should be treated as innocents. One of the most amusing set of panels includes such dolls conversing as Lou and Mina play with them. They suddenly come to a realization that "the magic is gone." Lou knows about things such as divorce, crushes, jealousy in a relationship, and how her own father (whom she never met) skipped town when her mother "took one of those tests." This is Lou's coming of age story ... her joy, her angst, her comedic moments, and life with a single parent. As she claims, "I love my life just the way it is." I love this humorous, progressive graphic novel that tells it like it is, least ways for Lou.This book courtesy of the publisher.

I LUV THIS BOOK.I luv this book very much. There are a lot of love between a daughter and her girl. I recommend this book VERY much. LouLou is a creative and cute girl that will be a great inspiration for girls, especially for me. Be yourself. Yes.READ THIS BOOK. Okay???HeheI also love the characters. Now, spoiler alert!!!LouLou is a great outgoing and gorgeoua girl with her mother who I love. She is the craziest but most loving mother. Richard, the man who has big heart. Tristan A kind boy of a sort who loves LouLou amd her mom.I hope you guys-nvrm-I want you to read this book please.These are words to describe this book: LOVABLE HAPPY INSPIRATIONAL (if that is a word) CREATIVE DETAILING and far more better things.

Lou! A Secret Diary is a fun read, and for the most part, I found it to be a funny and often times poignant look at what can be a very difficult time for a lot of young girls. Lou has a strong sense of who she is, and this graphic novel is made up of episodes in her life, from encounters with the popular girls at school who don't admire her fashion sense, to evenings with her video game addicted single mom.Lou's relationship with her mom is unique in that they seem to be more like sisters than mother and daughter. They share a happy dance when they both receive valentines from their boyfriends, and Lou often gives her mom advice on her love life. Lou's mom can't cook and she spends entirely too much time playing video games, leaving Lou to navigate the waters of pre-teen life on her own far too often. A particularly favorite episode occurs when Lou explains to her best friend Mina the circumstances surrounding her birth and why she doesn't know her father. I thought it was very well done, although some parents may object to scenes showing Lou's mom in the bathroom examining the results of a pregnancy test.Most of the episodes in this book revolve around boys. Lou is very dramatic in her crushes and disappointments, and the author gives her a very authentic teen voice. Sometimes Lou seems older than her twelve years and sometimes younger, which I think is pretty characteristic of this age. She is always witty, never afraid to wear her emotions on her sleeve, whether she is experiencing the high that comes when "the boy" first talks to her or the disappointment when he moves away.My one big problem with this graphic novel is a page depicting an adult novel that Lou's mom is writing. The art takes a dramatic turn as we plunge into her mom's head as she writes a fantasy depicting scantily clad women and a prince in chains. The font for this episode is so hard to read and the women so out of place, that I can't help but wish this page would have been left out. It certainly doesn't fit with the rest of the novel.On the whole, the art is humorous, engaging, and the text is easy to read. In the beginning and end are scrapbook pages depicting more of Lou's thoughts and feelings as she struggles with hang-ups, a mom who can be "kind of a baby", boys, and wearing the right clothes. There are some great visuals here, and when you wrap it all up in a shockingly pink cover, it's guaranteed to be a winner. This is a good recommend for kids in the twelve and over set. Since it deals with some of her mom's issues as well, best to steer this one away from the elementary school kids and concentrate on those 12 and 13 year olds. This book speaks their language.

The leading graphic novel series for 9-13 year old girls in France at the moment. It's also surprisingly funny and entertaining for grown ups. This 42 year old male enjoyed the portrait of the girls' mother who's a JK Rowling wanna-be sci-fi writer who's always procrastinating and playing computer games. Quality-stuff! Don't judge it by the Barbie-like pink colors on the cover of volume one. It's really good! It really is! :)