Harley’s disability is more visible, and her problem is not telling others about it, but handling the way some people judge her. Her friends know the real Harley, but strangers may make assumptions – because of the wheelchair – that have nothing to do with reality.

The message here is to always look at the person and not the disability. Harley is a lively girl with strong views and plenty of confidence… she’s proof that a physical disability doesn’t have to stand in your way. She knows that she’s as good as anyone. Hopefully, once they get to know her, others will get the message too.

There’s No Such Thing as Perfect

Hey Cathy

I am part of a really cool crowd at school, which is what I always wanted. I should be happy, but it’s not as good as I thought it would be. I miss my old friends and sometimes I am just plain bored. I have recently read GingerSnaps and I really connected with the story because I think what you are saying is, popularity isn’t as important as you think. Well, I think I am starting to agree.

Margaret, age 12

Dear Cathy

People say I have it all – looks, brains, popularity – yet I feel like something’s missing, but I just don’t know what. I feel like I’m just playing a part, pretending, and that if my friends see that they won’t want to know me. I don’t even know who I am any more! And I hate all this pressure to be perfect because I don’t think I can keep it up for much longer.

Mikki, age 14

Being popular… it’s something many of us dream of, but what does it actually mean? To be in with the cool crowd, the popular crew, the golden kids… the ones the whole school admire… surely, that would be something?

Being popular is just another label, and one you have to work pretty hard to keep up with. Margaret has discovered that ‘being popular’ is not as exciting as she imagined. She misses her old friends who may not have been ‘popular’, but were probably a whole lot more caring/ interesting/fun. Margaret may not stay with the ‘cool’ kids for much longer – she isn’t happy, and eventually I think she will choose real friendship over popularity.

For Mikki, the struggle of trying so hard to fit in is wearing thin. She has been playing a part for so long she has lost sight of who she really is. Mikki can work on her confidence and self-esteem, since it seems that beneath the surface it’s nowhere near as strong as it may look from the outside. Using the tips and tricks in the last chapter, she can work on liking and accepting herself – the real Mikki, the person behind the ‘perfect’ mask. People who don’t like themselves or have strong self-esteem can often find themselves hiding behind a ‘fake’ image or putting up with friends and situations that are not good for them.