Chicago’s in her blood, but LA is where it’s at

Keke Palmer is a squealer — in a good way. The effervescent former Chicagoan — her family moved to Los Angeles a year ago — is the perfect interview subject: polite, enthusiastic and utterly charming. She also doesn’t balk at naming her crushes, dissing negative haters and talking about acting without turning it into a dissertation about her “craft.”

Of course, she’s only 11. But hopefully Hollywood won’t jade the little girl who, until last year, attended St. Benedict’s Catholic School in Blue Island.

Now, Keke is home-schooled by her mother.

“I’m in sixth grade now, but things move faster when you’re home-schooled ’cause of all the individual attention I get,” says Keke, taking a break to call the Sun-Times on her mother’s cell phone. “If I study really hard, I can probably graduate from high school when I’m 14.”

But when you’re 11 years old, three years is a long way off.

Until she goes away to college, she has a full plate. She stars opposite William H. Macy at 7 p.m. Sunday in the original TNT film “The Wool Cap.” Keke plays a young girl who befriends a mute building superintendent (Macy) after her mother abandons her.

Next up for Keke is a series pilot for the Disney Channel.

Q. How are you liking Los Angeles?

A. I like Los Angeles. It has good weather and never gets too cold. I like the palm trees, which someone told me were not native to the city. But this would be my first Christmas without snow. I’m used to getting up in the morning and making snow angels. It’ll be weird walking on the ground without boots on.

Q. Speaking of Christmas, what’s on your wish list?

A. I just want the family to have a great time and spend it with each other. It’d be nice if we could get back to Chicago but I don’t know if that will happen.

Q. OK, what’s really on your gift list?

A. [Laughs] No, I really do want all that. But I want lots of presents, too. I want a laptop computer, some new outfits, some jewelry, nail polish, an MP3 player … I want a lot of stuff. Oh, I’d like one of those journal diaries that will only open when it hears your voice command.

Q. Are you worried your siblings would try to read your diary?

A. Actually, I always want my older sister [who’s 15] to read my diary, but she’s all grown up and doesn’t want to.

Q. You’ve also got younger twin siblings. Can they differentiate the Keke they live with from the Keke they see on the screen?

A. It’s funny ’cause the twins are just 3, but they’re so smart. They know who I am, no matter how they see me. They’ll see me on TV and say, “Oh, that’s just Keke.” They think everyone’s sister is on TV.

Q. Memorizing lines can be a difficult thing for any actor. What’s your approach to making sure you know your part?

A. Well, my mom tells me to study my whole part ’cause you never know what’s going to happen and if the director wants to do a different scene that day, it might be kind of hard if I hadn’t studied it all. It’s always good to be able to do a little of anything they might ask you to do. When I got the “Wool Cap,” we practiced every night so I’d know them by morning when I went to work.

Q. When did you know you wanted to act?

A. After I did “Cold Case” and “Barber Shop 2: Back in Business.” It was really fun on the set and I just started loving it even more every day. I wanted to go on more auditions and just keep trying to get more and more parts.

Q. Do you think you’ll go to college when you’re old enough?

A. Definitely. My parents want me to go to college, too, so it’s something I’ll definitely do. I’d like to go to Harvard or Stanford and study really hard. Right now, I love math. I’m not so good with science or English, but hopefully at the end of the year I will be much better. When I’m in college, I may not want to act anymore, so maybe I’ll just stop. There are always options in life.

Q. Are you sure you’re only 11?

A. [Laughs] Yes. I won’t be 12 until August next year.

Q. OK, we’ve got to ask this, since you’re a young, single, eligible female …

A. [Giggles] Yes?

Q. Who’s your favorite crush?

A. Well, when I was in first grade, it was this boy Sean. But back then if a boy likes you he’s automatically you’re boyfriend. When I was leaving Chicago, I liked Lorenzo Stewart — he’s sooooo cute! My best friend in Chicago, Essence Walker, and I used to talk about him all the time.

Q. How have your classmates reacted to your rising fame?

A. Well, my friends weren’t jealous but there were some snippy people at school. Then they called me constantly when they knew I was doing “Barbershop.”

Q. Any final words for all your Chicago fans, friends and family?

A. [Squeals] Hi, everyone! I love you all! Essence is going to die when she reads her name in the newspaper. Hi, Essence!