This spirited, sometimes uneven verse novel follows 12-year-old Bea's angst and joys as she transitions to middle school: "It's the saying goodbye to the old me/ while having no idea/ who the new me even is just yet." Hagan (Watch Us Rise) roots the narrative in small-town Kentucky, sketching Bea's home life and the tension between her "country smarts" namesake Mamaw, an avid gardener, and her buttoned-up widow mother, a nurse. Chapters describe how Bea is "Part Mamaw & Part Mom" and delineate the relatives' one shared trait: "Neither of Them Listens." Pacing varies across free verse chapters, with Bea's voice losing power when recounting her emotional state without evidence ("Everything feels so heavy"). But observations about how people view her Kentucky home ring true ("They see small towns/ where I see everyone I know"), and scenes of dramatic action excel--especially a swim team relay, the jockeying of new friendships against old, and excruciating moments of embarrassment. Hagan's intergenerational family story offers an engaging slant on familiar early adolescent growing pains. Ages 8--11. (Feb.)

It's the summer before seventh grade, and 12-year-old Beatrice Miller lives with her mom and mamaw in Bardstown, Kentucky. She's conflicted about entering her teen years, anxious for them to begin, yet fearful of leaving childhood behind. She's also often caught in the middle between her mother (a responsible nurse who is ambitious for her daughter) and Mamaw (her free-spirited, eccentric grandmother who wants Bea to enjoy the present). With the narrative told in free verse, Hagan's strength is developing characters and their motivations. Bea is particularly well fleshed out, with many poems dedicated to her inner musings about her feelings and place in the world. While the episodic plot meanders a bit (Mom considers a serious boyfriend; Mamaw thinks about getting her own place; Bea contemplates her relationship with her deceased father, learns that slumber party dares can be dangerous, and discovers that joining the in-crowd comes with drawbacks), Hagan's keen understanding of adolescent preoccupations will be enough to hook many.

In this novel told in free verse, Beatrice Miller is on the verge of 13 and trying to figure out who she will become. During the summer before seventh grade, Beatrice is at the boundary between childhood and something else. She's happy with her small family--eccentric and free-spirited grandmother Mamaw and more conventional workaholic Mom--and best friends--dreamy, artsy Mariella and strong, fearless StaceyAnn. But she also longs to grow into a beautiful and mature member of the popular clique. Rather than stemming from any overarching external conflict, the narrative tension emerges from Beatrice's conflicted inner world, illustrated right off the bat through her being torn between love of her Kentucky country town (painted especially lovingly through descriptions of meals and a garden motif) and shame at being thought a hillbilly and for her socio-economic status. Every now and then Beatrice dips into territory so overly generalized as to feel clichéd (standard-issue gym-class angst and undersupervised spin-the-bottle parties), but the strong female bonds and varied characterizations elevate Beatrice's struggles against gender expectations, whether in the form of beauty rules or teachers' privileging boys, as she tries to find her own voice. Beatrice and her family are White; Mariella is Mexican American, and StaceyAnn has a Black father and White mother. One character comes out in a scene that highlights casual acceptance without denigrating the moment's importance to the character. An introspective, sensitive tale that readers can grow along with. (Verse novel. 8-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 6 Up--This novel in verse explores the anxiety that adolescent girls often feel on the brink of becoming young women. Beatrice Miller, a white Southern girl, is enjoying the last few weeks of summer before the start of middle school. She is focused on trying to figure out who she is or will be as a person, and frequently worries about school. She wants to be noticed, be cool, and hang out with the popular kids, but she has many insecurities about her body, her family, and how to express what she actually thinks and feels. The writing feels slow at times, bogged down by repetitive details, and some word choices don't feel realistic for a 12-year-old--but most of the narrative flows well and Beatrice is a very relatable character. There are many positive messages in this title about identity, friendship, and family. Beatrice's friend Mariella is Latina, and StaceyAnn's father is Black while her mom is white. VERDICT This title will resonate with readers who aren't ready to leave childhood behind but who don't feel like kids anymore. Recommended for libraries in need of verse novels and relatable coming-of-age tales.--Lisa Buffi, Sterling M.S., VA