Barbara DeeRecensioni

Warning: there is reference to a gay character; however, this plays a very minor role in the whole story. Sexual harassment is discussed in the book so parents should be aware of the subject and be prepared to discuss with their children. The author does a great job giving examples throughout the story without sexual descriptions or graphic content.

Gr 4–8—Wren is going through some difficult changes: Her father left and started a new family, and she and her
mother have moved to a new city. She fills her time watching and trying to recreate the special effects makeup of a
popular YouTuber. While Wren navigates tween life, her mother is also increasingly secretive. These mysterious
actions elegantly unfold in Dee's well-crafted story, which deftly addresses heavy topics such as parental separation
and opioid addiction.

Gr 3–8—Twelve-year-old Haven Jacobs's anxiety about climate change turns into an opportunity for action when a
science project shows the local impact of pollution. Dee gets at the heart of anxiety, friendships, and taking an active
role in one's life in this resonant contemporary novel.

This middle grade book deals with some pretty heavy topics and does such a good job of it! Wren is having a big year of changes. Her parents get divorced, her dad gets remarried moves to New York and has twins, her mom decides to move them to a new town and a new school. The one thing that stays constant to wren is her love for special effect makeup. She loves watching videos and experimenting on her mom. Soon her makeup skills are the thing that help her make friends and connect with other people. Her life may be messy, but her makeup is always on point. Violets are Blue deals with tough topics like: divorce, bullying, new families, and addiction. Readers will fall in love with Wren as she tries to find her voice and forge a path into new unknowns.

Life is anything but calm as a girl chases her writing dreams, while reality plays its own complicated twists and turns around her.

Lyla's entire life is off-balance with her best friend in a different school and her parents stressing out over her older sister's college preparations. At least, Lyla has the English writing assignment under control. After all, the most awesome story idea is waiting in her head to turn into written words. Except that getting the right words down is harder than she thought. Writer's block hits hard after the first sentence, not that she'll admit it...that's if she had someone to admit it to. While her best friend is finding new friends, which have nothing in common with Lyla, Lyla only seems to be somewhat-ish connecting with a girl, who has more animals than a zoo. All Lyla wants is someone to share her writing highs and lows with, but nobody seems to care. Not that it matters. If things continue, she won't have any friends left, anyway.

Lyla is a very, normal seventh grader, who is easy to connect with. The writing comes across naturally, as if Lyla were someone right in the room. It's written from her point of view, and during the first pages, she addresses the reader as if they were her friends. After this, it switches gears smoothly, and she dives into the story.

Many readers will find something in Lyla they can see in their own lives. She has a loving family but not a perfect one, especially since her older sister and parents can't seem to agree. Then, there's the entire friend drama, which is a very real problem for this age group as friendships change as fast as the kids do themselves. The insecurities are understandable and easy to relate to. especially since no one seems to 'get' Lyla. This is, again, something many readers of the age group will have no problem seeing in their own lives and be curious to see how Lyla deals with it.

It's a quick, easy read thanks to the lighter writing style. Lyla comes across open and honest. Sometimes, she gets a bit off track, while others, she lets her drama-side flow. It adds the right amount of humor (along with Journey's animals) to add smiles and keep the story light. The messages are wholesome and surround family and friendship. Plus, there's an awesome teacher involved, too.

While readers, who dream of becoming writers, will see quite a bit of themselves in Lyla (and catch a few writing hints along the way), fans of friendship problems will also enjoy this one quite a bit.
I received a DRC and enjoyed joining Lyla on her journey.

Wren starts seventh grade in a new school after her parents’ acrimonious divorce, with her dad and his new girlfriend living several states away and her mom moving into a smaller home while working an increasing number of late shifts at the hospital. Meanwhile, Wren becomes interested in special effects makeup and agrees to audition to be the official makeup artist for the school’s play, the musical Wicked.

Barbara Dee writes yet another very readable book about being a middle school student and all the ups and downs that entails. Wren is a likeable and relatable character; even if your specific circumstances are different, the main premise of finding your true identity and making real friends is something we have all been through at one point in our lives. The special effects makeup works as a perfect metaphor for these important points, particularly as Wren struggles to achieve the perfect mermaid makeup to represent herself, learning that a key ingredient has been missing all along.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.½

Haven is sensitive and anxious by nature but it worsens the more she learns about climate change and its impact on the planet. A science class study of the local river indicates negative changes over the past couple of years and the presence of a toxin. Haven is desperate to do something NOW but no one, especially the adults, seems to understand the urgency to act. As in her book "Maybe He Just Likes You," author Barbara Dee has a knack for acknowledging the complex emotions of tweens. A highly relevant book for our anxious times and for kids similarly worried about their future on earth.

Aww, this was very sweet. Griffin and Norah and their mythological characters were super cool and I loved the thread of Greek mythology that came through in a really fun way. I wish we had gotten a bit more on the parents though--how long ago had they split? Why did the mom go to California?--but other than that, this was well told.

Zinnie adores her older brother Gabriel. When he crashes someone else's car and ends up in a mental health treatment facility for bipolar disorder, her family really struggles. She finds herself frequently tending to the needs of her baby brother. She finds solace in her biology project and later in the lunch group run by the school social worker.
A strong character, Zinnie finds a way to talk about her feelings, deal with her mom's advice to keep things private, and heal herself and her relationships.
Barbara Dee is know for tackling tough topics for middle school audiences, and she does so again here.

This is a great book about eco-anxiety. I love that the main character is vegetarian and is considering becoming vegan. I love that she cares about climate change/the planet and that she cares about animals.

Haven is a relatable and believable character. I love her and think that most of the characters are also well written. This is a truly realistic children’s realistic fiction novel. I appreciate that. There are only a couple of minor things that made it not perfect for me but it’s still a full 5 stars worthy book.

I think this is an fine book for people of all ages. Highly recommended for readers age 9-12 and for classroom and family reading aloud. It’s a wonderful discussion book and a good book to pair with doing some sort of environmental project or projects.

I looked up other books by this author and they all look good and I would have loved them when I was 9-12 and wish there had been more books like that available when I was the target age. There are so many outstanding books for kids now! This one is topical and important and a great addition to the genre.

Charming pen and ink drawings of frogs and penguins.

Haven Jacobs is anxious: about the way her relationships with her friends are changing in seventh grade, and about climate change. After seeing a video about penguins and melting glaciers in science class, Haven's eco-anxiety worsens - although it also provides a bonding opportunity with her older brother Carter, a freshman in high school who is also worried about the climate.

When a class science project shows significant, recent changes in the local river, Haven organizes an event to bring attention to the matter, and is even interviewed for the local paper, but feels she didn't have the impact she wanted. So she stages a protest, but that doesn't go as planned either. At last, her science teacher asks her to speak in public - a huge fear of hers - to the mayor and the town board.

Climate change is a serious concern for many, including - especially - kids. Haven is inspired by another [fictional?] young activist, Kirima Ansong, and supported by friends, not-friends, her brother, and her parents (although at first they don't grasp how much she cares about the issue; later, they set her up with a therapist who helps her). Haven knows she isn't going to save the planet, but works to make positive change in her corner of the world.

See also: Me and Marvin Gardens by Amy Sarig King, Doll Bones by Holly Black

Quotes

Right then I had this feeling: I don't understand anything. Not just what was happening with the river, but with people, too. I never used to feel this way, but now, all of a sudden, everything felt like a giant mystery, with no identification chart. No test strips, no fancy equipment for help make sense of what I was seeing. I was on my own, in the dark. And all around me, if felt like things were changing, shifting, too fast for me to keep up. (108-109)

What was the point of knowing the truth about something if you didn't know what to do with it? (124)

"When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is truly ready, the teacher disappears." (social studies teacher Ms. Packer to Haven, 250)

But I didn't want to be pessimistic. About Kenji. Or the river. Or the planet. Or anything else, really.
I reminded myself what Min had said: Balls were rolling, wheels were turning. Just because I couldn't see those balls and wheels didn't mean things weren't happening. Good things. (278)

Haven sees a video about penguins suffering due to climate change in science class That sets Haven onto some doom scrolling. Things are tough for Haven, her friends are changing, she doesn't know how to handle a new kid, and her dad newly re-employed by a new factory in town is stressed. When their class starts the river project and she gets paired with Kenji, the class discovers that the river is sick. Haven decides it is time to take action.
The friendship dramas and struggles ring true. Haven is surrounded by a cast of supportive adults - teachers and parents. A compelling story.

Book 6 of 7 read for the Cybils Awards round two judging! Review withheld until after the awards. Stay tuned!

Mattie (Matilda) falls in love with the play Romeo and Juliet, which her favorite English teacher, Mr. Torres, announces they will be reading in class and performing as the eighth grade play. Mattie surprises her best friends, theatrical Tessa and calm, organized Lucy, by auditioning, and getting her chosen role of Paris. But when the actor playing Romeo backs out of the production, Mr. Torres asks Mattie to take on the role. Mattie isn't afraid of the memorization - but she has a crush on Juliet, a British girl called Gemma, and she doesn't want anyone to know - including Gemma, who is friends with mean girl Willow. However, Gemma herself isn't mean, and Mattie's story has a happier ending than Romeo & Juliet's. Shakespearean insults are sprinkled throughout, courtesy of Tessa. Audiobook narrator Jorjeana Marie does a beautiful job with Mattie's thoughtfulness, and distinguishes other characters' voices easily.

See also: Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz½

This book is about a middle school girl named Wren who is moving with her mom to a new city in light of her parents' recent divorce. Wren watches makeup videos online as an outlet, and has to make new friends at her new school all while her mom is struggling. This book seems like it represents students who aren't normally represented, like students with divorced parents or parents struggling with mental health. This book would be appropriate for students at the middle school level.

Wren (aka Renata) loves movie makeup and watches video tutorials non-stop. Her parents are recently divorced with she and her mom in Chicago and her dad, his new wife and kids in Brooklyn, NY. Going to a new school, she decides to start over, as her former best friend is no longer a friend.

She gets roped into doing makeup on the school play, makes a new friend and comes to terms with her mothers pain killer addiction.

Violets are Blue is an easy interesting read and a new spin on addiction, due to the makeup arc. Worth a read.½

#FirstLine - Hey, guys, Cat FX here.

This book was FANTASTIC. It is a hard read, but important themes are discussed. Dee gave voice to this story and it was so beautifully fleshed out. You will be brought into the story and it will invoke some very deep feelings. You will be better for reading this wonderful and heartfelt story!

As Mila is just starting to get used to 7th grade, she notices that several of the boys have been finding excuses to touch her in ways that she believes are inappropriate. They have also been making comments that give her a strange feeling in her stomach. Mila is afraid to tell her mom because she is having her own troubles at work. Her friends try to be supportive, but they either blame her for what is happening or believe that she needs to tell someone and get help. However, every time Mila tries to tell one of the staff at her school, she is misunderstood, leading to more problems. Mila has tried walking away or ignoring the boys, but they just won't leave her alone.
Maybe He Just Likes You is a book that should be read by every middle school teacher and student. The emotions that Mila feels are extremely familiar and easily identifiable to anyone who has been through middle school. Bullying and sexual harassment are woven into the plot of the story so that any young person who is experiencing the same thing can learn strategies to make it stop. My only complaint about the book is that the resolution is a little too easily achieved, but overall, a very timely story with an important message delivered in a way that young and old can understand.

Difficult issues mix with make-up for a touching story about family, friends, and finding ones self.

Wren loves make-up and devours any video about the artistry where she can. Although she doesn't admit it, she's quite talented, too. But all of that takes a backseat as her parents divorce, her mother battles with tough working hours, and a move, which is supposed to make everything better. When Wren gets a chance to let her make-up talents shine, she's not so sure she wants to do it or not, especially when the tough secrets her mother has been hiding start coming to light.

The idea of weaving a girl's interest into make-up artistry into a tale already gives this one a unique and fun twist. The author starts each chapter with tips from Wren's videos and, mixed in these, are wise words, which glide right along with the plot and deeper problems. This aspect was refreshing and well done, already adding a lot to the read. But then, the entire thing is well written.

Many difficult themes are packed into these pages as Wren first experiences the divorce of her parents, meeting a new step-mother, having new step-siblings, losing best friends, moving to a new place, first crushes, and, finally, parents and drug abuse. And there are even more snuck in. Still, the author does a great job at sliding this into a seamless story, which flows as smooth as make-up. It's kept age appropriate and demonstrates how some problems aren't immediately visible.

While this is a deeper read on some ends, it's actually an easy read. The dialogue and characters stay natural, and the plot keeps a steady pace, letting one scene sit, and then going right into the next. It's never boring nor does it waste time on descriptions or an overflow of feelings and thoughts. And this is where I missed a little more on the character depth and felt like everything sometimes superficially flowed by without any real emotional connections. But this did improve as the story went along.

This is definitely an enjoyable read and hits themes middle graders will recognize and sympathize with. It definitely gets a 'thumbs-up' from me.

Another fantastic book by Barbara Dee. The way she captures middle school voice authentically is consistently amazing. She never shies away from tough topics, and this book fits well with its predecessors.

This book tackles the topics of divorce, moving, and opioid addiction with gentle honesty appropriate for middle grade readers. Our main character, Renata, navigates her parents' divorce and the following move by becoming obsessed with special effects makeup. The symbolism of creating someone new coincides with her decision to be Wren instead of Renata. The normal middle school territory of friendships, relationships, and identity is secondary to Wren's home worries. Her mom is acting increasingly oddly, her dad is busy with his new family in New York, and she's usually left to fend for herself.

Wren is easy to identify with, and the book's themes are not too heavy-handed. The book is perfect for middle school classrooms, libraries, and book clubs.

I'm grateful to the publisher and ILA for the ARC.

Everything I Know About You is a body-positive book that portrays complicated middle school friendships in a realistic way. The main character, Tally, is who I wish I was in middle school. She’s got a strong sense of self and a tribe of true friends, although, at times, she’s just as confused and prone to poor choices as the rest of us.

This book includes middle grade topics that many kids can relate to: navigating friendships, bullying, mean girls, adoption, divorce, and the difficult business of being a tween or young teen. Carefully woven in is the too-common issue of eating disorders. I like that this is done through the main character’s observation of a peer with an eating disorder. While this perspective may prove helpful for readers who have noticed signs of an eating disorder in a friend or peer, it’s also a disarming and non-glamorizing perspective for readers who are struggling with their own disordered eating habits. I recommend the book for any middle grade reader as well as the classrooms and school libraries that serve them.

Norah Levy is starting seventh grade. She has not been to school in two years; she has been fighting leukemia and now is trying to adjust to “normal” middle school life. The book tells of her struggles as The Girl Who Had Cancer and is powerful in its message of strength and acceptance. Includes About the Author.

A star student falls for the lead actress of her school play amidst the intricate social pressures of middle school, unleashing a heart-warming, comical tale of secret crushes, and fierce rivalries. Perfect for the middle grade. LGBTQ bookshelf.

Four and a half stars from me.

The more I read of Barbara Dee’s Middle Grade books, the bigger fan I become of her writing. Dee’s new book My Life In The Fish Tank offers an approachable, empathetic, and realistic take on the topic of mental health. She does this with an engaging plot, relatable characters, and humor that will engage Middle Grade readers.

Our main character Zinny’s life is turned upside down when her older brother Gabriel is diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. How her family deals with the situation surrounding the diagnosis is a big part of the plot. And how they deal with it? Not well, unfortunately. Through this chaos Dee manages to keenly reflect the tween perspective, the complexities of family – and in particular, family loyalty.

Mom is distracted, Dad is in hiding, and they both don’t want Gabriel’s diagnosis to get out. This makes Zinny pull away from her friends who just want to help. The book captures the loneliness that can result from keeping secrets. I think it also does a great job at normalizing different situations that tweens might stigmatize, such as speaking with a counselor or attending the lunchtime counseling group. Overall, it takes a healthy approach to discussing mental health.

“Because one thing you notice, when those bad things happen, is that calendars and clocks stop making any sense. Even if they still work perfectly okay, even if the batteries are good, and the cords are still plugged in…they don’t communicate anything useful. Or even anything your brain can understand.
At least that’s how it seemed in our house.
It was like, after it happened, we were in a different time zone from everyone else.
A parallel universe.
And we needed some kind of new, not-yet-invented time measurement. Abnormal Standard Time.”

As expected, Dee captures the middle school voice perfectly. Zinny’s is funny, honest, and drew me right into the story. I thought her siblings (and her relationship with them) was well developed and relatable, too. She also has a great teacher who subtly helps her navigate the situation. (I love seeing strong teacher role models in books.) The book is age-appropriate for the subject matter and while geared for MG readers, it is wonderful for all ages.

I received a copy of the book for review purposes. All opinions are my own!

children's middlegrade fiction, LGBTQ interest (13 y.o. girl thinks she might like another girl, doesn't know what to do/whom she can talk to but eventually finds that her friends and family are supportive).
This is a pretty sweet story that might help kids get through some confusing times and confusing feelings in their life, with a little added Shakespeare geekery thrown in.