I hadn't heard much about this book (my boys are older now, and so I not that tuned in to middle grade) but I felt like I'd seen it and its sequels here and there, at thrift stores and such, which I frequent to stock my LFL. I wasn't sure which one was the first one, but that's easy to look up. As my #middlegradeMay2025 was wrapping up, I figured I give this a go. Borrowed the audio and Kindle copy from my local library.

I went primarily with the audio, and I was a little surprised afterward to note there were only two narrators (Arielle DeLisle and Mike Chamberlain). The story shifts, 1st person, between seven different students, three boys and four girls. I had felt like the voices were different enough, I thought there were seven different narrators! I guess a lot of the "voice" differences were also apparent in the writing, and there were headers before each POV shift. Jessica (the new girl) presented her portions like a play (Act 1 Scene 1) which helped make her memorable. Luke (the brainiac) got really into the "dollar words" project, and continued it throughout the book, and I never got tired of it, it made me smile every time he pointed out the "dollar word" ... Alexia and Peter, the two troublemakers. Danielle, struggles with weight and an uber religious and judgmental family. Jeffery ... he was a little harder to remember, and "anna" tries to fly under the radar, and I thought it was interesting that her name was all lowercase in the headers (a visual representation of laying low?)

I love when books have "discussion questions" for book club or what not ... if a book doesn't have them, often I can Google and find some ... for middle grade books, anything I find seems to be more of "comprehension" and "book report" stuff, not so much discussion topics like one would discuss in book club. I actually think that even though this is aimed at a young audience, that there would be quite a few things that would make for interesting book club discussions.

I really like the title (apparently it wasn't the first, or the second, but I think it absolutely represents) and the cover images I've seen connect to the story as well.

Loved that (I think it was Jessica) loved to read and some titles were mentioned ... A Wrinkle in Time, Where the Red Fern Grows, Al Capone Does My Shirts, Belle Teal, Ida B. . . and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World, and The Summer of the Swans ... just interesting to ME, I remembered the first three (as I am familiar with them, have read them, Al Capone just this month) yet I had to look through the book to remember the other three (I've heard of Summer of the Swans, I'm actually not sure if I've read it or not? I don't think so).

I have one of the sequels in hardcopy to share in the Little Free Library, and I DO plan on reading the sequels (maybe I'll plan for a #middlegradeMarch2026) and I'll definitely keep an eye out for this book. I'd love to share it in my LFL!