  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 07/01/2019 Middle school is a strange time, and Augusta (or Gus) isn’t sure how to handle it all. Her parents are getting divorced, her best friend is going to a different school, a group of mean girls is teasing her, and she’s not sure who would make a good new friend. Through chapters conceptualized as a list of letters to a younger sister, Gus tells about all the people she’s met in school, chronicling her journey of awkward moments, new friendships, emotional turmoil, and that middle-grade feeling of wondering what others think of you and not being sure who you are. Mahoney writes with painful accuracy of what it’s like to experience the tween years, and her description of middle school will have kids nodding their heads in agreement. As Gus finds her voice and her village, the story reminds readers that they aren’t alone in navigating the wild waters of middle school. A pitch-perfect must-read for tweens seeking comfort about growing up. - Copyright 2019 Booklist. School Library Journal - 08/01/2019 Gr 4–6—An insightful and humorous tale of transitioning from elementary to middle school. Gus, short for Augusta, is a brand-new sixth grader at Meridian Middle School. Not only does she have to start her new school with glasses even though her parents promised she could have contacts, but her BFF has to go to a completely different school. The book is written as a letter to Gus's fourth grader sister who keeps asking about middle school but is ignored while Gus deals with her own issues. As readers follow Gus in her journey navigating the ins and outs of middle school and her parents' divorce, they are introduced to people, both friends and enemies, she meets along the way. Old acquaintances turn into good friends, bad and good teachers' classrooms are navigated, and Mahoney explores physical assault and consent through the inclusion of an older student who likes to "goose" girls' behinds. The book never really mentions any character's physical traits beyond their hair color and style. VERDICT Smart, funny, and well paced, this is a solid purchase for any older elementary or middle school collection.—Sara Brunkhorst, Glenview Public Library, IL - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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