Keeping Pace

February 5, 2024
Goal-oriented Grace Eller strives to cross everything off her to-do list during the summer between middle school and high school in this introspective novel by Morrison (Coming Up Short). Before she turns 14, Grace wants to babysit her divorced father’s girlfriend’s son without incident, change her hair style, take a cool class, score her first kiss, make a new friend, and run a half-marathon. Initially doubtful of her athletic ability, Grace soon finds peace and strength in her training routine. This regimen helps ground her as she navigates evolving
relationships with friends new and old, feelings for childhood bestie and current rival Jonah Perkins, and changing family dynamics. As Grace comes to terms with this transitional stage of her life, she
realizes that “there are all sorts of things
I used to find fun.... But now, I’m not so sure.” Morrison utilizes insightful prose and a steady momentum to chronicle Grace’s pursuit of her goals. Her varying success and fluctuating perspectives all serve to make her feel more complete and confident, especially when she decides that “setting the pace that’s right for me” is the only way to get where she wants to go. Protagonists read as white; supporting characters are racially diverse. Ages 10–14. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties.

February 15, 2024
Grades 5-8 Academic achievement has been one of the few constants in Grace Eller's life, and this last year of middle school wasn't supposed to be any different. When the year-end "top student" designation goes to her sworn enemy, Jonah, she's crushed. Sure, only a fraction of a point separates their scores, but after years of supposedly being the best, it pains her to come in second. It doesn't help that both of her parents are professors, either. As a budding writer herself, Grace places considerable value on her novelist father's seemingly glamorous pursuits. Astute readers will be able to see this as a bid for connection--her parents are divorced, and Grace and her sister live with their mom. The novel provides much-needed space to reflect on these dynamics, but the story is less about Grace figuring out her relationship with her dad than it is about figuring out her relationship with herself. However, it's through running that she gradually acknowledges her intrinsic self-worth, recognizing that it's OK to just be.

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March 1, 2024
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't tell that to Grace Eller, whose one-track mind is focused squarely on academic achievement. When she's bested for both the creative writing and "Eighth-Grade Top Scholar" awards by friend-turned-rival Jonah Perkins, her sense of self is battered. What's an overachiever who fails to achieve? With help from older sister Celia and cousin Avery, Grace comes up with a summer goals list. She's poised for a journey of self-exploration: Babysitting Teddy (her dad's girlfriend's 4-year-old son), taking an ungraded creative writing class, learning to embrace her naturally curly hair, and training for a half-marathon are all activities that uproot Grace from her comfort zone. She discovers that opening herself up to new experiences allows her to let other people in and empowers her to redefine success on her own terms. This well-paced novel is a balm for readers who may be struggling with senses of self that are narrowly defined by grades or athletic performance. The supportive sibling and cousin dynamics enrich the narrative by finding the complementary middle ground in a juxtaposition of opposites. The authentically awkward navigation of a blossoming romance fuels Grace's journey of emotional development, while an amicable post-divorce parental relationship tenderly reveals the uncomfortable truth that parents are people, too. Most characters are cued white; there's racial diversity among the background characters. An insightful read that highlights the struggles and strides young people make toward self-awareness. (Fiction. 10-14)

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