Something to Say by Lisa Moore Ramée. Grades 5-8. 304 pages. Balzer + Bray, 2020. Review copy provided by publisher.
I was a huge fan of Lisa Moore Ramee's debut,
A Good Kind of Trouble, and this follow up does not disappoint. Painfully shy Jenae resists the friendship advances of a somewhat weird kid at her new middle school, but when they're paired together for a debate assignment, she'll have to face her fear of public speaking. She's convinced that she can make things happen with her thoughts and blames herself for her brother's basketball injury that's kept him home from college recovering. And when her grandfather's health takes a turn for the worse, she'll have to step up and help her family in a way she's never had to before. This is a great book for readers who love character-driven stories - Jenae's character development is fantastic and I loved the slow burn friendship that eventually blossoms between the two main characters. Hand this one to fans of
Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina or My
Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich by Ibi Zoboi.
