Thank you @Netgalley and @ClarionBooks for the gifted book that I read along with the library audio.
by: Nicole D. Collier
narrated: Imani Parks
rating: really liked
This is one of the best middle grade books I have seen with a metaphor running it's way through it. Jillian is a 5th grader who is trying to break out of her shell of fear and grief as she deals with her grandmother's passing and her mom's Lupus diagnosis. She is smart but when put on the spot she just wants to freeze and become invisible. But as her and her classmates learn about and observe 10 eggs incubating to become chickens, her development as a person coming into her own is mirrored by the growing and maturing of those chickens in the eggs. I found Jillian endearing and the lessons she learned about standing up for herself, finding the good in people, and finding confidence in her uniqueness had me wanting to pump my fist at her accomplishments. Plus we see involved parents and teachers which I always appreciate in middle grade books where the tendency is for kids to run around without supervision.
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