SUMMER OF BRAVE

Burdened by contradictory expectations from her high-achieving, divorced parents, a quiet tween is challenged to assert herself.

Lilla’s parents, like many in their small college town, are academics. Her dad heads the art museum; her mom is an entomologist. Stellar seventh-grade test scores set Lilla on course for the prestigious magnet high school where students focus on either arts or STEM subjects. Weary of the constant pressure to excel, to pick a career path before she’s 13, Lilla fantasizes about attending public high school and pursuing interests beyond the career-focused specialization her parents have convinced themselves she wants, but she remains outwardly compliant. Her passivity is no secret to her friends Vivi and Knox. When Vivi chooses bravery for their summer goal, Lilla agrees to express her feelings honestly, without resorting to white lies or silence. She struggles to manage conflicting expectations for girls—to be simultaneously ambitious and competitive, feminine and emotionally yielding. While that’s exhausting enough, contending with sexism and street harassment along with her first crush proves downright paralyzing. Choosing never to hurt others’ feelings, Lilla realizes, means always prioritizing them over expressing her own (ruthless self-criticism is another trap). Vivi’s dad is Japanese and her mother is French Canadian; other major characters are White. With compassion, wry humor, and pinpoint accuracy, Parks weaves the multiple challenges facing adolescent girls into a compelling, seamless narrative.

Timely, insightful, and highly recommended.