A GLIMMER OF CHANGE

An autistic teen starts an anti-bullying agency.

Thirteen-year-old Keedie, who lives in the small Scottish town of Juniper, attends a school with a zero-tolerance bullying policy. But as she knows from observing her neurotypical twin sister Nina’s popular friends, bullies are rarely punished for their actions. Keedie agrees to intervene with one classmate’s bully for a fee, eventually leveraging her growing reputation into a successful business. Compelling subplots include Keedie’s mentorship of her undiagnosed autistic younger sister, Addie—the protagonist of McNicoll’s A Kind of Spark (2021)—and Nina’s new boyfriend Hugh’s fascination with the nonconformist Keedie. Taking money for bullying bullies is ethically dubious, but McNicoll navigates this arc effectively with the reveal of a selfless reason for Keedie’s fundraising. Some descriptions of Keedie’s experience with autism feel a bit stilted, perhaps intended to educate neurotypical readers rather than provide a mirror for autistic ones. Overall, though, Keedie’s a well-realized character, opinionated and willing to stand up for those in need. With a handful of exceptions, adults are portrayed as nuanced, flawed individuals who try to do their best by the book’s children but often fail them. Keedie alludes to her queerness, though it isn’t fully explored. Characters read as white.

A neurodivergent protagonist whom middle-grade readers will root for.