Summer of Brave

Starred review from January 1, 2021
Burdened by contradictory expectations from her high-achieving, divorced parents, a quiet tween is challenged to assert herself. Lilla's parents, like many in their small college town, are academics. Her dad heads the art museum; her mom is an entomologist. Stellar seventh-grade test scores set Lilla on course for the prestigious magnet high school where students focus on either arts or STEM subjects. Weary of the constant pressure to excel, to pick a career path before she's 13, Lilla fantasizes about attending public high school and pursuing interests beyond the career-focused specialization her parents have convinced themselves she wants, but she remains outwardly compliant. Her passivity is no secret to her friends Vivi and Knox. When Vivi chooses bravery for their summer goal, Lilla agrees to express her feelings honestly, without resorting to white lies or silence. She struggles to manage conflicting expectations for girls--to be simultaneously ambitious and competitive, feminine and emotionally yielding. While that's exhausting enough, contending with sexism and street harassment along with her first crush proves downright paralyzing. Choosing never to hurt others' feelings, Lilla realizes, means always prioritizing them over expressing her own (ruthless self-criticism is another trap). Vivi's dad is Japanese and her mother is French Canadian; other major characters are White. With compassion, wry humor, and pinpoint accuracy, Parks weaves the multiple challenges facing adolescent girls into a compelling, seamless narrative. Timely, insightful, and highly recommended. (Fiction. 10-14)

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Starred review from March 1, 2021

Gr 5-8-Lilla and her friends Vivi and Knox make a fun Summer Wish every year. This year, however, Vivi's wish for the summer is for Knox and Lilla to be brave. More specifically, she wishes that Lilla would tell the truth, even when it makes people unhappy. Lilla has been hiding her true feelings for too long now, and the thought of opening up to her parents about her reactions to their divorce and living arrangement, their dreams for her in high school, and even to her own best friends is scary. This summer between seventh and eighth grade is a big turning point for her, though, and she needs to make her needs known before others make decisions for her that will make her unhappy. Lilla and her friends live in a unique setting with a university campus as their playground (based on the author's own upbringing), and while the novel starts out as a friendship and family story, it takes a strong turn midway through to address street harassment and standing up to people who make work and other situations feel scarier than they should. This story line adds depth and allows Lilla to shine through and grow as a character while providing an excellent example for middle grade readers of how to speak up when that is the scariest thing imaginable. This book would pair nicely with Barbara Dee's Maybe He Just Likes You-both make the topic of sexual harassment accessible and empowering for middle schoolers. VERDICT A first purchase for middle grade collections as well as book clubs for this age range.-Kate Olson, Southern Bluffs Elem. Sch., La Crosse, WI

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