THIS CLOSE TO HOME

Everything is different in Brooke’s life: Her mother died in a car accident, her father and sister have changed, and her new feelings for her best friend, Derek, are confusing.

Twelve-year-old Brooke is dealing with a lot. There are mean girls like Lily Graham who rule the school. There’s Marley Macintosh, the outspoken outsider at school who has been given the nickname Bossy Floss (her parents are dentists) and who is her partner for a science class project. On top of that, Brooke is having fluttery feelings about longtime bestie Derek Perez, and that’s scary. She is also becoming increasingly self-conscious, hyperaware of conventionally pretty Lily’s appearance. Her self-image isn’t helped by sexist, judgmental comments two high school boys make about her. Fortunately, Brooke has her love of softball and how it makes her feel connected to her mother. She hopes to make things the way they were before by bringing back Lakefest, the annual community picnic that her mother adored. What makes this book stand out is its skillful highlighting of tween girls’ confusion around changing expectations and emotions. These are real experiences told honestly, with empathy and insight. Most main characters default to White; Derek is cued Latine, and names signal ethnic diversity in background characters.

A sensitively told story with thought-provoking social commentary.