By Chanel Miller
Philomel / Penguin Random House, 2026
244 pages
978-0-593-62455-5
Ages 10-14
Seventh grader Luna (Chinese American/white) is comfortable with a quiet, observant life on the edges, as long as she’s with her best friend Scott (white). He gets her, and she gets him. After inheriting a box of books from a neighbor, Luna decides to share the books with classmates who might benefit from their messages. Soon, she and Scott are running a book dispensary during lunchtime. When they learn about ’zines in art class, they begin creating them for classmates whose self-esteem needs a boost. Luna and her ’zines catch the attention of some popular girls, who invite her into their group but use her creativity to help them write “fix-its”: crowdsourced cruelties and insults under the guise of self-improvement. As quickly as Luna is absorbed into the popular crowd, she is pushed back out, and her friendship with Scott sours as well. The characters that make up Luna’s world are well developed and important, from classmates and her parents to the owner of the local dim sum restaurant. Miller deftly portrays the social drama of middle school through richly drawn Luna, whose inner thoughts and observations are funny, painful, and insightful. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center