Keep It Together, Keiko Carter

March 1, 2020
Keiko and her two best friends navigate the drama of seventh grade. Keiko Carter is ready to start seventh grade with her two best friends, Jenna Sakai and Audrey Lassiter. Jenna is finally back from spending the summer with her dad in Texas, and everything is perfect now that the trio is together again. Keiko wants to experience new clubs and activities together, but Audrey has something else in mind: boyfriends. Keiko goes along with it, but Jenna tires of always doing things Audrey's way. Stuck in the middle of the fight, Keiko wants to make everyone happy. And that's just the beginning of her troubles. Her mom is never home because of a new job; her sister is hiding something; and Keiko might have a crush on a boy she shouldn't like. Keeping the peace is what Keiko does, but she must decide if it's worth sacrificing her happiness this time. In her middle-grade debut, Florence creates a fun, accessible story, touching on the realities of middle school, such as friendships, fallouts, misunderstandings, first crushes, and fitting in. The highs and lows of the girls' friendship highlight toxic relationships versus true friendship. Keiko is biracial, half Japanese American and half white; Jenna is Japanese American; and Audrey is white. Sweet and smart. (Fiction. 9-12)

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April 1, 2020
Grades 4-6 Keiko Carter and her best friends, Audrey and Jenna, are starting seventh grade. To reinvent themselves for the new school year, Audrey suggests that the girls find boyfriends in time for their school's annual Fall Ball. Audrey and Jenna's strained relationship begins to unravel when both girls realize they like the same boy. Coupled with that, Keiko's parents are fighting, and she begins to have feelings for Audrey's maligned brother, Conner. Ever the fixer, Keiko decides to help her friends and family salvage their relationships, but she struggles to accept that sometimes even the best and longest of friendships must end if continuing them means you are not being true to yourself. Tween and teen relationships are explored in this charming middle-grade story by Florence. This book would be a solid recommendation for young readers looking for lighthearted romance but not ready for more mature YA content. Fans of 11 Before 12 (2017), by Lisa Greenwald, and 11 Birthdays (2009), by Wendy Mass, will enjoy this book as well.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

May 1, 2020

Gr 5-8-With besties Audrey and Jenna by her side, Keiko Carter is looking forward to seventh grade, envisioning awesome clubs, school dances, and more independence. But reality is not as sweet. Keiko's friend group unravels when both Jenna and Audrey develop a crush on the same guy. Her family is changing, with her Mom working longer hours and her sister sneaking out. After spending time with Audrey's older brother Conner and his pals, Keiko finds herself questioning the qualities of a true friend. Florence's tween drama will resonate with its audience. Through Keiko's narration, readers experience her thoughts and conversations, but will also see beyond Keiko's clouded perspective to a more authentic view of her friends. At times the author's inclusion of background information, such as Keiko's odd relationship with her alcoholic grandfather, seem out of place, perhaps a failed attempt to add depth. The novel's ending feels abrupt as the plot spins to focus more on Keiko's new dog and relationship with Conner, never resolving her friendships. This sudden ending also obscures the central plot point of a potential romantic relationship, leaving readers with many loose ends and no contemplation from Keiko. VERDICT Overall, this novel will interest teens thirsty for drama, but little more. Recommended strictly for libraries needing to expand their realistic fiction collection.-Mary-Brook J. Townsend, The McGillis School, Salt Lake City

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