Caela Carter

Lydia has spent the whole of summer vacation wearing long-sleeved turtlenecks and sweatpants because after the boys at school started commenting on her body she hasn’t felt comfortable or safe in her own skin. And worse, her mom’s boyfriend is starting to give her over-long hugs and uncomfortable stares. She’s too afraid that the adults in her life won’t feel the same way she does – that these things are wrong and she’s right to feel unsafe – and so she keeps it all to herself. show more When her mom surprises her and her live-in cousin with the news that she’s bought a house for them, they start cleaning it up on the weekends since the former owners seem to have left all their belongings behind. Lydia finds a small room in the basement filled with little jars of dried herbs and flowers, and a book of hand-written spells. Could this be the solution to her problem? Could she fight off unwanted male attention with magic? She’ll try anything to make the idea of going back to school in the fall even remotely palatable.

Easily the best read of the year so far for me and it’ll take a lot to top it. This is one of those middle grade books that every single student, no matter their gender, should read, and every single parent should read it, too. It perfectly captures the horror of being a middle school girl in the world, one who sees the injustices against women, feels them keenly, but also sees that this is the norm and she’s meant to accept it as such. So powerfully written, with a so-wonderfully told story. I loved every word of it and I urge all of you to read it for yourselves. show less

Lydia has spent the whole of summer vacation wearing long-sleeved turtlenecks and sweatpants because after the boys at school started commenting on her body she hasn’t felt comfortable or safe in her own skin. And worse, her mom’s boyfriend is starting to give her over-long hugs and uncomfortable stares. She’s too afraid that the adults in her life won’t feel the same way she does – that these things are wrong and she’s right to feel unsafe – and so she keeps it all to herself. show more When her mom surprises her and her live-in cousin with the news that she’s bought a house for them, they start cleaning it up on the weekends since the former owners seem to have left all their belongings behind. Lydia finds a small room in the basement filled with little jars of dried herbs and flowers, and a book of hand-written spells. Could this be the solution to her problem? Could she fight off unwanted male attention with magic? She’ll try anything to make the idea of going back to school in the fall even remotely palatable.

Easily the best read of the year so far for me and it’ll take a lot to top it. This is one of those middle grade books that every single student, no matter their gender, should read, and every single parent should read it, too. It perfectly captures the horror of being a middle school girl in the world, one who sees the injustices against women, feels them keenly, but also sees that this is the norm and she’s meant to accept it as such. So powerfully written, with a so-wonderfully told story. I loved every word of it and I urge all of you to read it for yourselves. show less

To say that I hoped Mr. Olsen and Hayley would be fired by the end of this book is an UNDERSTATEMENT. This is an amazing book that talks about neurodiversity from the perspective of the person actually experiencing it and it’s absolutely stunning. Honestly, everyone should read it, no matter what grade (ok, maybe kids not ready for all the text yet) or what job (adults).

Convincingly told story of two children overcoming the trauma of foster system life as they settle into their adopted reality. 4th grader and little brother, they’ve always been each other’s only constant thing. She struggles to speak sometimes and he hoards food and neither of them believe that they were ever born. In parts poetic, in parts strictly focused on the day to day routine, always coming back to a child’s point of view, and how different from the adult understanding of show more reality that can be. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad. Sometimes just difficult to read, sometimes intensely hopeful. A great read, but also a sophisticated emotional ride. show less