The Friend Dilemma
Emma Just Medium Book 2

Rewilding by Lisa Gerlits is a tender, emotionally honest middle grade novel that surprised me with its depth. Rewilding is one of those rare middle grade books that truly sees the emotional world of children for what it is: complicated, intuitive, and often far heavier than adults assume. I picked t......more

At its heart, Rewilding is a tender, poignant middle grade novel about twelve-year-old Joy, who finds herself juggling way more than any kid should. While taking care of her younger brother Ian and hiding their struggling home life from nosy adults, Joy stumbles into something unexpectedly healing:......more

Too much falls on the shoulders of eleven-year-old Joy. After her parents divorced, Dad is no longer around and repeatedly fails to follow through on their agreements to spend time together over a weekend or even show up on time to pick the children up after school. Joy's mom has hardly left her cou......more

Book Review: Rewilding by Lisa Gerlits Lisa Gerlits’ Rewilding is a poignant and powerful middle-grade novel that explores themes of resilience, identity, and the healing power of nature. The story follows Joy, an eleven-year-old girl nicknamed “Bruiser” by her father, as she navigates the challenges......more

This is is a charming story about Joy, a young girl who is struggling with her parents' break up and her mother's consequent depression. She is terrified that her school will summon child protective services if they find out what is really going on in her home. All this puts additional pressure on Jo......more