GENERATION MISFITS by Akemi Dawn Bowman
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Millie could not be more excited to start at her new school. Actually, it’s her first school, since for her whole life she’s been home “schooled,” which to her parents means flute, flute, and more flute. But at the performing arts magnet middle school, she’ll be with other kids–which means potential friends! And things besides the flute, which she’s been having more and more trouble pretending to like.
Unfortunately, real school is much harder than Millie expected. There are so many unspoken rules, like the fact that homework assignments will magically appear on a white board without the teacher even mentioning them or the fact that there seems to be some sort of complex system of maneuvers required to get someone to sit with you at lunch. But things start to look up when Millie meets Zuki and they form a J-Pop club together, which is quickly joined by two other misfits and (shockingly) the most popular girl in the sixth grade. The only catch is that the popular girl insists they can’t tell anyone else about the club–plus, Millie has to lie to her parents about why she’s spending time after school. But when they get a chance to perform at a pop showcase, will their tenuous friendships survive the fallout from their secrets?
What a sweet, fun middle grade friendship story! I flew through this novel which will please any reader who has ever felt like they didn’t fit in, like their parents didn’t get them (even though they loved them), or like there was a part of themselves they weren’t sure they were ready to share with the world.
Susan the Librarian 