WHERE YOU'VE GOT TO BE

Eleven-year-old Nolie struggles to cope with changes in her life.

Her older sister, Linden, is consumed with her starring role as Marie in a Lincoln Center performance of The Nutcracker. Nolie’s parents and even her beloved Grandma cater to Linden’s demands, affecting their close-knit family’s lives. Nolie’s relationship with best friend Jessa is also undergoing radical changes: Nolie has never used her given name, Magnolia, feeling it’s not quite right for a Jewish New York City girl, but Jessa now insists on using it and even gives Nolie a list of improvements for being cool and socially accepted. As incidents at school and home escalate, she begins to self-destruct, picking her skin raw and stealing objects that comfort her. The third-person narration delves deeply into Nolie’s thoughts and reactions, as readers understand events as she sees them. Because she feels inferior, with no special talents or passions, and has no idea what she’s meant to be, Nolie is often muddled, questioning outcomes but unable to act or making matters worse. She wants to ask for help but instead withdraws and lets opportunities pass. A new quirky friend provides fun and thoughtful insights, and Linden, who is dealing with hurtful antisemitism from fellow dancers, forcefully pushes Nolie to confess her thefts and make amends. Nolie’s tale is rich with references to her family’s history and Judaism. Gertler handles middle-grade angst, family dynamics, and serious issues with candor and compassion.

Readers will commiserate and root for this story’s sympathetic protagonist.