The 47 People You’ll Meet in Middle School by Kristin Mahoney

The Hook:

Gus, short for Augustus, is starting middle school.  If that’s not bad enough she also has to deal with her parents’ recent divorce as well.  She tells her story in a series of letters written to her younger sister, Lou, to read later in hopes it will help her when she goes to middle school.    

Gus meets lots of new people at her middle school—teachers, kids alike.  She also learns that some of the kids she had known last year in elementary have changed—and not for the better.   For example, her former friend, Marcy, now has attached herself to a couple of unkind, remarkably condescending girls at her school.  Ugh!  With their insults, gossip, and glares, they make Gus’ life particularly unpleasant.  Then there’s Mr. Smeed, one of her teachers.  He is always thinking the worst and pointing his finger at Gus and a few others even when they are totally innocent.  Thank goodness for Sarah, a girl she meets at lunch.  They bond and help each other navigate throughout their days.  Can Gus find her voice and her people?  You’ll have to read the book to find out.   

This book is in our library.  It is also in Sora as an ebook.  It is 8 AR points.

My Thoughts (Careful! There May Be Spoilers):

I love this book! With painful accuracy, this book shows what it is like in middle school.  It chronicles Gus’ journey of awkward moments, new friendships, and emotional turmoil as she pivots through middle school.  I particularly like how the author describes Gus’ best friend in elementary changing and clinging on to a very different friend group than Gus. I believe this is very common problem that our kids must go through as they see their friends moving on or moving away from us—the betrayal, the loneliness, and the struggle to find new friends.

Gus does find a new friend group and she learns to stand up for herself and be proud of who she is. This might not be as common for students. But I cheered for her as I read and I think our students will too. It is inspiring and uplifting in that it portrays the struggles of friendships and it ends how you want it to end—with a happy ending. I give this book 4.8 stars!

Recommendations:

I recommend this to students who are having difficulty with friendships and struggling to be themselves. It is for 5th-8th grade students.