The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Just Shy of Ordinary by A.J. Sass Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Kathryn Hall Buy at Bookshop.org Shai is the only child of a single mother, living in a warm communal household in Wisconsin. In addition to the usual problems of adolescence, Shai has an anxiety disorder, and change is difficult for them. Shai enters public school for the first time after being home-schooled, is skipped a grade due to academic achievement, starts high school, misses their best friend, gets a new haircut, makes new friends, starts to understand their gender identity and sexuality, develops disfiguring eczema, and worries. So much worry. Their mother doesn't seem to want to answer Shai's questions about their past, and mom’s new career will likely mean that they will have to move. An antisemitic incident occurs, but Shai has supportive family, friends, and teachers as well as personal strengths. Shai enjoys writing and poetry and is able to understand w...

Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2022 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Stacy Nockowitz  Buy at Bookshop.org As A.J. Sass’s new middle grade novel, opens, Ellen Katz is getting ready to go on a huge adventure: a special school trip to Barcelona with a class of students studying Spanish. Joining her on the trip are her abba, who is one of the parent chaperones, her best friend Laurel, and an assortment of other students, including a new, nonbinary student named Isa. When everyone arrives in Spain, the kids are split into small groups to complete a series of tasks throughout the week, and Ellen finds herself in a group without Laurel but with Isa and a couple of boys she doesn’t know well. As the week goes on, Ellen must navigate the twists and turns of middle school friendships while dealing with the sights and sounds of a totally new environment. All of it can be overwhelming for Ellen, who is autistic. She is also just beginning to discov...