Recommended Ages: Gr.

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I like Jenae's prickly personality, Aubrey's over-the-top enthusiasm, the family dynamics and the plot of this book, which hinges on speaking up for change. Loved that it centered on a name change at school and talks about Sylvia Mendez. Loved that Jenae is so authentically not into public speaking and very into good food, loved the cartoon hero figure of Astrid Dane. I felt like it was read well on the audio version, but it did move kind of slowly. After a while, it dragged a bit, but I'm not the intended audience, so middle school kids might not find it slow.

Advanced listening copy provided by Libro.fm ( )

Janae likes being invisible and treats her ability to blend into the background like it's her hero, Astrid Dane's, superpower. But when she meets Aubrey, an outspoken, bright-haired, stands-out-in-a-crowd kind of kid and they strike up a friendship, her desire to hide in the background gets flipped on its head. This is a book about finding your voice, standing up for what you believe in, and the power of friendship and family. Lisa Ramee has done it again with a truly heartwarming story that will make you stand on your chair and cheer, and maybe even make you brave enough to show the world that you have something to say. I highly recommend!! ( )

Short, well-written story about a first close friendship and figuring out how to be an upstander. May not be enough to keep young readers turning the pages, though. ( )

Middle school student Jenae has a number of worries on her plate, her grandfather is behaving strangely, she thinks she’s to blame for her brother losing out on a basketball career and her new English teacher insists on practicing public speaking in class which is beyond uncomfortable for Jenae, but with the help of family and a friend, and with a cause worth fighting for, she just might make it through okay.

Jenae’s charcuterie style lunches along with her feelings at the prospect of speaking publicly, the nervous stomach, playing sick from school, that was so me as a kid (actually it’s pretty close to adult me, too), I could definitely relate. Although Jenae’s arc was a tiny bit predictable in how it unfolded, the pacing mattered more to me, and the author did a really good job of making any changes in Jenae feel gradual and well motivated.

Aubrey, Jenae’s friend, got on my nerves somewhat saying “sway” and “quack”, still I liked their friendship, I liked that they both make mistakes with one another yet they’re willing to listen and forgive.

While I enjoyed all the family scenes, my favorites featured Jenae with her grandfather, the emotional bond they share came through so clearly and I really liked how their relationship tied into the controversy over her school’s name.

I’m glad I gave this book a try, I loved Jenae and as an added bonus I learned about Sylvia Mendez, a history changer who should be more well known. ( )