Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 03/20/2026 Gr 4 Up—Twelve-year-old Mia has been facing a lot of challenges lately. While at home, she's stuck cleaning up animal poop at her parents' shelter or she's listening to them argue about how the shelter is too crowded. At school, she's frustrated about a group project where they can't even agree on a topic. And no matter where she is, she's upset because her best friend Lily seems more concerned about being cool than being her friend. A theme that weaves through the different elements of the story is what it means to be a "reject." Mia sees herself as a reject because she wasn't invited to a cool kid's party, but when most of her friends also aren't invited, they decide to have a "rejects" party of their own. Mia also applies this term to the animals in the shelter, since many wound up there when their original adopters later changed their minds. This is a sweet and funny character-driven story that will have readers rooting for Mia to have better relationships with her old and new friends, and also for her to help find new homes for the shelter animals. The illustrations are cartoony, lively, and cute, and readers will get a kick out of the expressive faces of both the human and animal characters. Mia is depicted with tan brown skin and dark hair, and there is diversity among the supporting cast. VERDICT Recommended for middle grade kids who are fans of books about animals, friendship, and overcoming challenges.—Andrea Lipinski - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.