In this stand-alone sequel to Julia Gillian (and the Art of Knowing) (2008), the eponymous heroine pretends all is well while her fifth-grade world totters. Optimistic Julia Gillian’s convinced “there was much to be happy about at Lake Harriet Elementary [School],” especially her first trumpet lesson. But when her best pal Bonwit starts avoiding her, a quirky new lunch monitor tyrannizes the school cafeteria and she can’t “get even the tiniest sound” out of her trumpet, she wonders, where’s the joy? Determined to handle her own problems, Julia Gillian turns into “a rule breaker and a secret keeper” until this uncharacteristic behavior attracts adult attention. Temporarily off-balance, Julia Gillian realizes she’s old enough to be responsible for her actions and eventually recoups with a little help from the cast of eccentric supporting characters. Kids will relate to the sympathetic, humorous narrative as it tracks Julia Gillian’s very convincing foray into self-imposed misery. Kozjan’s energetic pencil-and-ink drawings reveal details of Julia Gillian’s troubled but ultimately victorious quest for joy. (Fiction. 9-12)
