  | Our fair share Author: Jette, Sarah Marie A. | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
Four friends spend their summer working at the fair in Knox County, Maine, like they do every year. But this year everyone is distracted by their own personal problems. Having a new fair manager making drastic changes isn't helping matters either. In spite of it all, the four friends are determined to survive their own inner turmoil and help their fair community thrive.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (03/15/26)
School Library Journal (05/02/26)
Booklist (+) (04/01/26)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/06/26)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 04/01/2026 *Starred Review* Seraphina, James, Cassi, and Avory have been best friends for years. Each summer, they come together at the county fairgrounds, working with their parents at the Ferris wheel, the 4-H fair, the horse races, and the nacho stand, respectively. But this summer feels different. Earlier in the year, Seraphina and her mother were in a bad car wreck, and now Seraphina sees disaster everywhere she looks. James, knitter extraordinaire, was bullied at his new school and no longer wants his handmade sweater shown in the fair’s fiber-arts competition. Cassi’s father was accused of cheating at the horse races last summer, and the scandal has impacted their relationship with each other and the other workers. And Avory, always sensitive about their small size, is more determined than ever to set a record at the fair’s Power Tower strength-measuring game. Told from each twelve-year-old’s perspective in alternating third-person sections, the book takes a realistic look at the growing pains not only of entering one’s teenage years but also of conflict and resolution. The narrative’s smooth incorporation of a nonbinary main character whose gender identity is not made a plot point and its normalization of a boy loving fabrics and knitting are refreshing elements within this strong, character-driven story. A superb summertime tale of friendship and growing up. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 05/02/2026 Gr 4–7—County fairs are an annual ritual for many tweens across the country, and Jette delights with a story that takes readers behind the scenes via narratives from four rising seventh graders who work at the Knox County, ME, fair with their families. Cassi, Serafina, James, and Avory return to the fairgrounds for another summer, but things just aren't the same despite their attempts to resurrect beloved traditions. Each of them is dealing with big issues that have arisen over the past year, including a parent burdened with accusations of dishonesty, trauma from an accident, bullying, and body shame. These issues are portrayed raw and carefully through alternating narrators across chapters, letting readers glimpse each narrator's point of view and struggle. Despite the hardships, there are also countless small joys, from churros to Ferris wheels to flashlight tag to the livestock barn, letting readers who cherish the fair still feel cozy and happy about the beloved event. The entire cast of characters is richly written, and it is notable that a nonbinary character is written plainly using they/them pronouns without their identity being a matter of strife in the story. Character description is minimal; it is implied Avory is Latine, Serafina is described with curly hair, and others are cued white. VERDICT Middle grade readers who love a summer fair will pounce on this story; recommended for purchase in communities with a strong fair tradition.—Kate Olson - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
