We Are Party People

Gr 4–6—Pixie Jones is a shy seventh grader who prefers to keep her head down. Her parents are the opposite; in fact, being the life of the party is the family business. They are children's party planners who dress up as mermaids, pirates, and more. Pixie usually helps out in the background, but when her mom is called away to care for Pixie's grandmother, her dad asks her to play a mermaid at an upcoming event. Meanwhile, Pixie has befriended a new student at school, Sophie, who is not submitting quietly to their lowly social position. Sophie runs for class president despite the election traditionally favoring popular students. Her friendship with Sophie challenges Pixie to think beyond her assumptions about the middle school social hierarchy. The two story lines dovetail nicely in a predictable but satisfying climax. Pixie's first-person perspective is endearing. She also speaks candidly about things like her grandmother's Alzheimer's and a friend's gluten intolerance, and her relationship with her harried dad is particularly tender. Readers can sense his distress over his absent wife and his desire to connect with the tween daughter he struggles to understand.