Swirl #1: Pumpkin Spice Secrets by Hillary Homzie

My name is Maddie, and my seventh grade year has become very complicated. I bumped (literally) into the cutest boy a few days before the year started and instantly had a crush on Jacob. However, before I could tell my best friend Jana, she announced she had a crush on him. Now, we all know the BFF Code, right? You can't steal your BFF's boyfriend, so I couldn't tell anybody how I felt. I had hoped Jana would quickly lose interest, like always, but she didn't. I think I could have handled the problem, except Jacob and I were paired together for a Social Studies debate and had to work closely for two weeks. We got along great, and I knew he liked me. I've lied to Jana to save her feelings, but I'm afraid of what will happen when she finds out. Can you help me? What should I do?

This book is definitely for middle grade girls. It addresses many common problems they face at this age, and first crushes is the main focus of the plot. All middle grade students experience these feelings. In addition, Maddie's parents have high academic expectations, her sister is a high-achiever with a secret of her own, and Maddie has a fear of public speaking. My feelings? Well, I'm a grown man reading about the problems of a seventh grade girl, so I had some trouble connecting to her character. The plot was easy to follow, and the author told it from Maddie's point of view. This was obviously a great choice, since Maddie's feelings were the most important part of the plot. I understood Maddie's reluctance to hurt her friend's feelings, but things would have been so much easier if she was honest in the first place. A lesson learned for all! Overall, middle grade girls should enjoy this book and might get some hints on how to survive their early teenage years.