THE FLYERS

A quiet tween finds her voice during a weeklong magazine internship in Manhattan.

Seventh grader Elena Martinez and her best friend, Summer, love Spread Your Wings magazine. They both apply to be Flyers—the four readers selected annually to spend a summer week contributing to the September back-to-school issue. When only Elena, an aspiring therapist and songwriter, is chosen, she worries the experience will fracture her lifelong friendship with Summer, who has begun spending more time with a cross-country teammate and seems to resent being Elena’s only friend. Considering that socially anxious Elena can barely speak aloud in class, she’s especially intimidated about meeting Cailin Carter, a Flyer who is an elite Texas cheerleader, reality television star, and social media presence. After arriving in New York City, Elena supports fashion-loving Flyer Whitney Richards as she’s having a panic attack at the train station. The final Flyer, Harlow Yoshida, is a budding investigative journalist eager to sink her teeth into a good story. The author captures the awkwardness and excitement of four tween girls getting to know one another, learning about publishing, and having adventures in the city. The story also thoughtfully explores anxiety, self-esteem, and influencer culture. Elena is Puerto Rican, Whitney is cued as Black, Harlow is Japanese American, and Summer and Cailin read as White; race does not play a role in the story.

A short, sweet tale of expanding horizons, nurturing friendships, and pursuing passions.