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Events, activities, and days out for families in Hong Kong
Ginger spice is the Material Girl.
I compare Geri Halliwell to Madonna because the similarities stare me in the face. First, they become mega commercial successes touting pop music feminism (Madonna wins this one because she's still pumping out hits, while the Spice Girls have to cash in on their reunion tour after failed solo-acts). Then they each have a baby girl and name her something unconventional (Bluebell Madonna vs Lourdes Maria... Geri wins this round for naming her child after Madge). Lastly, these celebrity mums write a series of children's books for their oddly-named daughters.
Surprisngly, Halliwell's Ugenia Lavender is much more charming than Madonna’s English Roses. The lead protagonist is named Ugenia because she's ingenious, exclaiming "Ingenious!" when she's thrilled, and "Injustice!" when she's not. Ugenia is a sweet, yet bold, young lady, whose adventures include everyday problems such as fitting in at school, to catching the lovely illness (that is, love sickness) when she has her first crush on a boy. Seeking advice from her quirky family, Ugenia gets through most days unscathed, and even writes a letter to the reader at the end of each story recounting her lessons learned.
Halliwell has created a lovable set of thoroughly modern characters with an authentic British slant (no, Madonna's accent is not real). Her stories are fun for adults and kids alike, because while we, older readers, will remember our first crushes with embarrassment, young ladies no older than 12 will probably be reading with eager excitement or heartfelt sympathy. The illustrations by Rian Hughes compliment the text perfectly, while Halliwell’s writing as a junior high school girl is thoroughly convincing, her energetic prose a pleasure to read. So good, in fact, that it feels like a guilty pleasure akin to listening to your favourite Spice Girl song (come on, we all have one).
All in all, a dose of commendable girl power for little girls from the ex-Spice Girl. Bourree Lam