Be Real, Macy Weaver

May 1, 2022
A tween struggles to navigate friendship and family in a new community. For 11-year-old Macy Weaver, finding and keeping a best friend is a tough task. She thinks she has it all worked out with Josie, but their connection ends abruptly, and Macy is facing spending summer vacation alone. The news that her mom wants to move them from South Carolina to Maryland so she can attend college seems like a fresh start for Macy's friend search despite the strain it places on her dad. Their family dynamic is further complicated by Macy's mom's decision to live on campus during the week while Macy and her dad stay in a small apartment. Once school begins, Macy is on a friendship mission, but, convinced she is not enough as she is, she makes up stories that she thinks will make her more attractive. When that does not work, she plants a wedge between two friends that backfires. Macy is an entertaining character whose desperate need shows the importance of friendship as young people develop. The portrayal of Macy's immature mom will resonate with readers as they come to understand that not everyone has perfect parents. The appealing cast of characters, pop-culture references, and lively pacing make this an engaging read. Macy and most of the cast are Black; one of her friends is Chinese and Black, and one uses they/them pronouns. A nice blend of life's joys and challenges for today's middle-grade readers. (author's note) (Fiction. 8-12)

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June 1, 2022
Grades 4-6 Macy Weaver has a tough time keeping friends. She makes sure to learn everything about them, going so far as to pretend to like the things they like, even when she really doesn't. All of Macy's effort is wasted, however, because she always seems to lose her best friends. Things seem to look up for her when her family moves to Maryland, but she soon finds out that making friends isn't going to be easier just because she gets to start over with a fresh slate. Before long, Macy has to grapple with the consequences of lying and the dynamics of her changing family as she tries on yet another set of interests. Wilson's middle-grade novel is the perfect blend of humor, introspection, and authenticity. The major characters are both realistic and likable, and she creates a fully formed, three-dimensional world that integrates serious topics with knee-slapping humor and heartfelt growth. This is a must-read for children who are working through the process of developing their own identities.

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July 18, 2022
After getting caught in a lie, South Carolina fifth grader Macy Weaver has lost another friend and is anticipating a dreadful summer alone. But when her mother is accepted to the University of Maryland and they have to move, Macy is ecstatic for a new start, one in which no one knows her history of mistruths. “Making friends was kind of hard” for Macy, whose “creepy-crawlies,” or anxieties (which recur around “struggling to figure out just the right words and just the right way to say things”), compel her to keep her truths close to the vest. Attempting to make friends, however, causes Macy’s anxieties to take over, and she tells her new friends that her mother is not a psychology student, but a famous fashion photographer. As Macy’s lies unravel, and it looks like her past friendship breakups are destined to repeat themselves, she must learn that being oneself is the only authentic way to cultivate real connections. Wilson (Who Is Colin Kaepernick?) sensitively navigates anxiety and the societal pressures associated with belonging and making friends in this lighthearted volume with a predominantly Black cast. Ages 8–12. Agent: Melanie Figueroa, Root Literary.

July 8, 2022

Gr 3-7-Sixth grader Macy Weaver will do anything to have a best friend. She'll tailor her personality to match anyone she thinks has best friend potential. After this strategy leaves her with a bout of loneliness, she jumps at the chance to move to Bowie, MD, for a fresh start when her mother makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to go back to college. When Macy finds she is more alone than ever in her new home, she decides to craft a new fashion-forward persona far from her reality. As she struggles to keep up with the lies, Macy continues to feel unwanted as her true self, even when genuine friendships form. Readers will enjoy Macy's authentic voice as she reflects on her feelings and the nuanced secondary characters, all of whom are Black. The story's pacing may be slow for some readers, though it allows for tension to build around Macy. The main character's mother's absence and irresponsible spending habits are highlighted in the book, but Wilson does resolve these by the end. VERDICT This is a solid realistic fiction choice for fans of Ren�e Watson, Jamie Sumner, or Janae Marks. Recommended for purchase for all collections.-Monisha Blair

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