Showing results by author "Barbara Dee" in All Categories

For seventh-grader Mila, it starts with some boys giving her an unwanted hug on the school blacktop. A few days later, at recess, one of the boys (and fellow trumpet player), Callum, tells Mila it's his birthday, and asks her for a "birthday hug." He's just being friendly, isn't he? And how can she say no? But Callum's hug lasts a few seconds too long, and feels...weird. According to her friend, Zara, Mila is being immature and overreacting. Doesn't she know what flirting looks like? But the boys don't leave Mila alone.

Thirteen-year-old Tally discovers several surprising things about her roommate - including the possibility of an eating disorder - during a seventh-grade class trip in this timely novel from the author of Maybe He Just Likes You, Star-Crossed, and Halfway Normal.

Twelve-year-old Mattie is thrilled when she learns the eighth-grade play will be Romeo and Juliet. In particular, she can't wait to share the stage with Gemma Braithwaite, who has been cast as Juliet. Gemma is brilliant, pretty - and British! - and Mattie starts to see her as more than just a friend. But Mattie has also had an on/off crush on her classmate Elijah since, well, forever. Is it possible to have a crush on both boys and girls?

Twelve-year-old Haven Jacobs can’t stop thinking about the climate crisis. In fact, her anxiety about the state of the planet is starting to interfere with her schoolwork, her friendships, even her sleep. She can’t stop wondering why grownups aren’t even trying to solve the earth’s problem—and if there’s anything meaningful that she, as a seventh grader, can contribute.

Twelve-year-old Wren loves makeup—special effect makeup, to be exact. When she is experimenting with new looks, Wren can create a different version of herself. A girl who isn’t in a sort-of-best friendship with someone who seems like she hates her. A girl whose parents aren’t divorced and doesn’t have to learn to like her new stepmom.

Norah Levy has just completed two years of treatment for leukemia and is ready to go back to the "real world" of middle school. She knows it'll be tricky - but like the Greek mythological characters she read about while she was sick, Norah's up for any challenge. But seventh grade turns out to be harder than she thought. Norah's classmates don't know what to make of her.

Lyla is thrilled when her seventh-grade ELA class begins a daily creative writing project. For the past year she’s been writing a brilliant fantasy novel in her head, and here’s her chance to get it on paper! The plot is super complicated, with battle scenes and witches, although basically it’s a semi-autobiographical story about an overlooked girl who has to rescue her beautiful, highly accomplished older sister.

When 12-year-old Zinnia Manning's older brother, Gabriel, is diagnosed with a mental illness, the family's world is turned upside down. Mom and Dad want Zinny; her 16-year-old sister, Scarlett; and her eight-year-old brother, Aiden, to keep Gabriel's condition "private" - and to Zinny, that sounds the same as "secret". Which means she can't talk about it to her two best friends, who don't understand why Zinny keeps pushing them away, turning everything into a joke.