From the beloved author of Hidden Truths comes a novel about take-charge sixth grader Bess Stein, who brings together friends and a group of rockstar librarians called the Book Warriors to fight a book ban happening at her middle school.Bess Stein is more than ready to be 6th grade class president. She's got tons of ideas—including a book vending machine—and her new friend June is beside her as vice-president. Together, they're unstoppable.
But when the books the girls want included in the vending machine come under fire, Bess is stunned. How can one person believe they have the right to decide what other people can read? It turns out that June's mom is leading the fight, and now everything's a mess.
Bess misses June—but she wants to make sure kids who might like these books get the chance to read them, even if it means she and June can't be friends. With such different opinions, will they ever be on the same page?
On sale: January 14, 2025
Age: 10 and up
Grade: Grade 5 & Up
Page count: 272 Pages
ISBN: 9780593705605
Reading level: Lexile: 620L | Fountas/Pinnell: V
Elly Swartz lives in Massachusetts and is happily married with two grown sons, a beagle named Lucy, and a pup named Baxter Bean.
Hidden Truths, called a "realistic fiction at its best" in a starred review by
SLJ, was her latest novel. She is also the author of
Dear Student,
Finding Perfect, Smart Cookie, and
Give and Take, novels for middle-grade readers.
"A
timely, and
relevant story readers will enjoy and learn from." —Becky Calzada, Co-Founder TX FReadom Fighters
"
Swartz skillfully incorporates sensitive depictions of Bess’s anxiety and the comfort she finds in her Jewish faith and her dog, Barnaby, to tackle tween friendship drama and growing pains with nuance." —
Publishers Weekly
