Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 01/01/2021 Gr 4–8—An excellent take on the challenges of navigating social media for adolescents. Costner explores a horrible situation (cyberbullying) through four very different perspectives: Jack Reynolds, the class clown; Tasha, the new kid; Mario, aka Mario-Kart; and Brielle, Ms. Goody Two-Shoes. Jack has been entertaining his classmates since first grade, when he realized it was more comfortable to be laughed at for being silly than for messing up. Tasha has just moved to town and nobody really knows her, including that her brother died and her parents split. Nobody has asked why she shaves her head or even about the colorful hats she wears, which she crochets herself. Mario is a typical tween whose parents are not very cool—his mom won't even let him have a cell phone until he gets his driver's license. Brielle is as perfect as she appears, but she is a complex person who genuinely cares about others. Costner has found a way to highlight the innocence of tweens while never underestimating the unique pressures that children face along with puberty, acne, and popularity. She tackles complex, deeply relevant issues, such as feelings of insecurity and arrogance and the difference between how we present ourselves in a media-centric world and the people we are in private. VERDICT Costner offers some thoughtful ways of encouraging readers to reflect on what kind of a person they want to be, and what they want to be known for. An absolute must-purchase for all middle school libraries.—Christina Paolozzi, Bonaire Elem. Sch., GA - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 02/15/2022 A talent for inventive online and classroom tomfoolery gets a Utah seventh grader both into and out of pickles in this funny, perceptive ensemble sitcom. Having a tendency to burn through sidekicks willing to hold the camera for his goofy MyTube posts, Jack signs up for an after-school “Speed Friendshipping” club in hopes of making new connections. Splitting narrative duties between her glib protagonist and three of his classmates (all with issues and backstories of their own), Costner steers Jack through crises ranging from having his smartphone confiscated until he can pull his math grade up to accusations of cyberbullying for a mean-spirited prank. His instant and real remorse for the latter mark him out as a fundamentally decent sort, though, and along with chortling at his antics both online and in the classroom, readers will applaud his efforts to atone for his misdeeds and to build more lasting relationships with his new friends. Yong’s occasional monochrome freeze frames and character cards add to the tale’s cinematic quality. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.

Booklist - 02/15/2022 - Copyright 2022 Booklist.