When You’re Brave Enough by Rebeca Bendheim (Viking Books for Young Readers, 304 pages, grades 5-8). Back in Austin, Lacey mostly hung out with her best friend Grace whose two moms are also close friends of her parents, so when her family moves to Rhode Island at the beginning of eighth grade, Lacey’s ready to branch out with her social circle. Her new middle school is all about musical theater, with a tradition of the leads kissing in the final performance. Lacey is thrilled to be cast as Kim in Bye Bye Birdie, but she soon realizes she has to make a choice about who she will kiss, since she shares duets with Conrad, Hugo, and Rosie. The play, new friendships, and Lacey’s upcoming Bat Mitzvah lead to an exciting but very confusing eighth grade fall, as Lacey struggles with crushes and her realizations about her sexuality. By the time Grace and her moms come for the big weekend of the play and the Bat Mitzvah, Lacey has made some huge changes in her life…but she realizes Grace is still at the center of it all.

I’m using the Goodreads Mock Newbery 2027 list to plan some of my summer reading, and this book is currently at #4 (as of this writing; things change a lot on this list!). Lacey’s struggles will resonate with middle school readers as she deals with the intense ups and downs of a first crush, her coming to terms with being gay, and the ways she has to deal with the reactions of those around her, learning in the process who she can really count on.

A Scar Like a River by Lisa Graff (Christy Ottaviano Books, 400 pages, grades 6 and up). Fallon has three secrets she’s kept since she was five years old. The third biggest, revealed in the second chapter, is that her uncle is the one who gave her the scar across her face, attacking her with a knife early one morning. She’s never told anyone that he was her attacker, but when her mom gets the news that he’s been killed in a car accident, Fallon experiences a wide range of emotions. The other two secrets are revealed gradually and are about sexual abuse by the same uncle. But the story is about much more than that: Fallon is dealing with two best friends who have just started dating each other; getting the lead in her school’s production of Hello, Dolly! and feeling uncomfortable enough about the story line to protest it and eventually give up the part; her mom’s illness and the aunt she’s always hated moving in to help out; and a new therapy group that helps Fallon finally feel ready to let her parents know what happened to her. This revelation is the beginning of healing for Fallon and her family, clearly a long and confusing journey for everyone, but by the end, Fallon finds herself “tilting toward joy.”

I’ve been putting off reading this book despite its multiple starred reviews, Boston Globe-Horn Book win for fiction, and #3 position on the Goodreads Newbery list. I knew it was about childhood sexual abuse, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it. I’m glad I overcame my considerations, though, because I loved it. Fallon is a memorable character: brave, opinionated, and not afraid to admit her mistakes, of which she makes plenty. Having said that, I think adults will want to give careful consideration about recommending this book and read it ahead of time if possible. There is a lot of frank discussion about sexual abuse as well as one flashback scene where Fallon recalls her own experiences. I hope it gets some well-deserved awards recognition, but personally I’d rather see it win the Printz as a YA book than the Newbery.