I had a really tough time getting through this one. The heavy focus on the parents’ romantic relationships felt a bit strange, especially considering their responsibilities. For instance, the fact that Berry’s mom even considered moving out of the country, despite already having limited contact with her daughter, came across as immature. Similarly, the dad’s relationship with the gym teacher felt oddly placed and didn’t sit right with me.

I was also uncomfortable when Berry’s neighbor asked when she was going to get a boyfriend. Berry is still quite young, and I don’t think we should be putting that kind of pressure on kids. Additionally, I found Berry’s relationship with her best friend to be difficult to connect with. It seemed unrealistic that one summer at drama camp and a crush could shift their entire dynamic so dramatically.

I really wanted to love this book, but I struggled to connect with the characters’ choices, and that ultimately led to a disappointing reading experience.

Berry Parker’s life has been pretty routine - spending August with her mom and day to day life with her dad and best friends, until the start of seventh grade. Her bestie is ghosting her, her parents now both suddenly are dating people, and worst of all her mom is thinking about moving overseas. It’s a of change for a girl who would rather not.
How will Berry learn to navigate it all while learning Latin and new family history?

Overall this is a quick realistic read for 5-8 grade readers, who might relate to navigating multiple life changing at once. Berry has a lot of internal dialogue that helps show her growth through out the book.
The adults don’t show a lot of depth, but that is to be expected coming from the POV of a 7th grader.

Like most middle schoolers, Berry doesn't like change, especially when life is going just the way she wants it to. She's having a great August with her mother, who comes once a year for a back-to-school "invasion", taking her vacation days from managing a resort hotel in Lake Tahoe to spend helping Berry get ready for the school year and spending quality time together. Berry's father, a surgical nurse, is goofy and embarrassing, but the two get along well. Her best friend, Lia, is going to be taking 7th grade Latin with her, so they'll be in the same cohort and have lots of classes together. Things go sideways when Berry suspects her mom has a boyfriend and is thinking about possibly moving to England, her father is hanging out with the new gym teacher, Coach Torres, and Lia isn't answering her texts... and is taking French! Even though she has the coolest Latin teacher EVER, Berry is not enjoying having to work with Lia's cousin Kai, even though some of the other students in the class, like Elyse, are friendly. Berry hopes that she can talk to Lia at her family's yearly barbecue, even if her father is talking about inviting Coach Torres. Lia has a huge crush on Miguel, and Berry thinks that some of her choices are motivated by this, but Lia also wants Berry to find some other friends. When Ivy, and Lennox, show up at the picnic, Berry isn't happy. Ivy wants to spend time cleaning out boxes of her mother's to free up space in the garage. Since Berry didn't quite realize that Grandma Gemma's boxes might be for her, she doesn't like this idea, especially since it means that Lennox is going to be hanging around as well. Things are rocky with Lia, although the two friends do continue to talk to each other, and school projects, like one on Ancient Roman bathrooms, are stressful. Berry's friends start to hint that she should be interested in Eirik, who might have a crush on her, but Berry just wants to focus on herself and her family. Ivy, who had Berry when she was 19, unearths some of Grandma Gemma's scrapbooks, and Berry is comforted to know that her grandmother also liked drawing and art the way that Berry does. When Ivy and Lennox get serious, will Berry be able to handle such a big change in her life?

So many middle grade novels deal with grieving the death of a parent, when in real life, it's far more likely that tweens have to deal with parents who don't live nearby or parents who are dating. Davis understands how important family is to kids in middle school; her Figure It Out, Henry Weldon (2023) is a great exploration of problems with a sibling. The other huge concern of this age group is difficulties with friends. When Lia talked about how she felt a bit smothered by Berry I was sure the two were done, but it was more interesting to see them work things out.

We learn so much about what Berry is experiencing emotionally (I LOVED her description of summer as a tangerine colored feeling!) that I was surprised halfway through the book to realize it is written in the third person. The details of everyday life are more vivid from this perspective, and there are so many excellent ones that made me feel like I was living Berry's story. There are delicious foods, fun outfits, activities with friends at school, and quality time spent with family that help give depth to Berry's inner life while making sure that the story moves along quickly. I don't often think about books in terms of dramatizations, but this would make an EXCELLENT After School Special! (What's the 2025 equivalent? A Disney Plus cartoon?)

Davis has a steady stream of excellent, upper middle grade novels that explore the middle school experience and include a wide variety of characters and events. Partly Cloudy (2021) addresses the issues of having to live with a relative and the effects of wildfires, Serena Says (2020) includes a friend with serious health issues, and Peas and Carrots (2016) has both a student in foster care and a prestigious private school. One of my favorites is Mare's War (2010) that portrayed a grandmother who had been in the Women's Army Corps! These have all been popular with my students, who enjoy the endearing Black characters who struggle a bit with their lives but have a positive attitude and lots of support. Berry is in good company, and reading about her put me in a "tangerine" mood as well.

Sometimes, life hands you surprises. For instance, I never thought I would have a middle grade book dedicated to ME. The dedication to this book, by the fabulous Tanita Davis (whom I met at Kid Lit Con in San Diego in about 2014, and with whom I have corresponded about the Cybils Award and Latin in her novels), reads "For Ms. Yingling- and the fictional Mrs. Jüngling- who agreed that it would be nice if there were more middle grade books with Latin classes in them." There's also a wonderful tribute to librarians at the end.

So just go buy two copies (at least!) for your library. You'll thank me- and Mrs. Jüngling.

I cannot wait to have this in my shelves for my students, this was so. Much fun and honestly I think making of my students will find it quite relatable.

This was one of those really great looks at this specific age group---the things they've got going on with their friends and their families, their changing attitudes and first crushes, the way they see the things around them. Recommended.

It’s the start of seventh grade and there are so many changes for Berry. Her mom says she might be going to England with Mr. Cole. Why? Her friends, Lia and Elyse, aren’t in any of her classes with her. Does Lia have a crush on Miguel? Why is her dad talking to Coach Tee? Does Eirik have a crush on Berry? So many changes for Berry, but at the end she has a smile or two for some surprises.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book, All opinions are my own.