Bigg School: Selfie Queen – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: Popularity, family, identity, Year 7.
Children’s book title: Selfie Queen.
Children’s author: Lisa Williamson.
Children’s illustrator: Jess Bradley.
Genre: Children’s fiction.
Published by: Guppy Books.
ISBN: 9781916558526.
Recommended for children aged: 8-12.
First published: Paperback September 2025.
This children’s book is ideal for: addressing how we see ourselves compared to how others do. To look at the power of social media and how it can influence the school, work, and home lives of children and adults alike.
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Our review:
Cleo Bayford is the most popular and prettiest girl in Year Seven at the Henry Bigg Academy, at least she and her friends, the Girly Pops, think she is. Knowing she’s going to smash school photo day is a no-brainer; she’s a natural, after all. Selfies were almost invented just for her! When the new role of school ambassador is introduced, Cleo knows that it will be a breeze too; a video isn’t that different from a bunch of selfies, and before she knows it, she’ll be one of the four newly elected year sevens!
After a run of bad luck, Cleo realises the ambassador elections were the last time she had a really good time. She absolutely nailed her video, which was so much better and so much longer than everyone else’s entries. Since then, though, things have been different. First, it was her orthodontist trip: she needs a brace; she, the selfie queen. How can she keep her socials up to date and relevant with a mouthful of metal? Then there was Kieran, her boyfriend; he was so out of order. Her cousin’s birthday (who sends a kid with chickenpox to a party, anyway?), and don’t even get her started on the pigeons!
With everything going wrong and no one ever at home when she needs a chat, Cleo can’t quite believe it, but she seeks help from the person in the year who is the total opposite of her, because she’s desperate. Amazingly, things begin to improve, but not without Cleo having to take a good, long look at herself, begin to see things from the point of view of others in her year, and maybe even change a few things.
Our verdict:
The fifth book in the Henry Bigg Academy series concentrates on Cleo Bayford and her school and home life. Cleo wants to be perfect, but more than that, she needs everyone else to realise she has everything just as it should be. Except she doesn’t, and seeing things through her eyes shows just what her search for perfection is hiding. Her dad is hardly ever home; he makes plans with Cleo then completely forgets about them. Her mum, obsessed with her appearance, pristine house and perfect friends, hardly ever has time to listen to Cleo, but she makes sure she has the skills to photograph beautifully. Her sister, in year ten, is doing mock GCSEs and is at her friend’s house revising all the time, meaning Cleo spends a lot of time in an empty house.
Astrid, who was the main character in book three, becomes her confidante, mainly because she got her braces just after Cleo. Astrid and her best friend, Lola, from book one, are making their way through year seven quite happily in their own way, which is nothing like the journey Cleo is on. When she stays at Astrid’s mum’s house to work on a school project, Cleo learns a timely lesson. Just because the two girls live totally different lives doesn’t mean one is wrong and one is right. This starts a train of thought for Cleo, and we get a glimpse of a more satisfying and fulfilling life ahead for her, if she wants to grab it.
Teaching points and book club discussion ideas:
- Cleo is convinced of her popularity, beauty and uniqueness at the start of the story. How does her thought process change as the story progresses?
- Cleo and Evie had a major falling out, but both girls were at fault. Do you think Cleo would have apologised if Astrid and Lola hadn’t talked things through with her?
- There were various ways to enter the ambassador competition. Is that something you would like to do? What medium would you use?
- How helpful would it have been to have had ambassadors or something similar when you were in year six? If you did have a scheme like this, did you use it?
- Why do you think Cleo’s mum has a white chair that no one is allowed to sit on? Does it help you understand Cleo’s home life more easily?
- If you eat your meals together at home, is everyone on technology, or do you chat about your day and your plans? Which would you prefer?
- Wearing braces happens to a lot of students in senior school. Do you think you are more like a Cleo or an Astrid about school photos, braces and competitions?
- How do you think Cleo will change because of what happens in this story?
- The main characters in each of the books in this set appear in other storylines as well. Do you think this continuity makes the books easier to read, as you don’t have to learn about all the protagonists anew each time?
Many thanks to Guppy Books for the review copy.
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