The Everybody Experiment
by Lisa Moore Ramée
Intermediate, Middle School    Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins    272 pp.
8/24    9780063039476    $19.99
e-book ed.  9780063039490    $10.99

Kylie fears she’s too babyish to make the leap from elementary school to middle school with her friends Mara, Nikila, and Naomi. She can’t seem to wear the right clothes or say the right thing, she’d rather play with her little sister than watch the scary movies her friends like, and she cries way too much. So scientifically minded Kylie devises an experiment to make herself more mature. The criteria? Not crying, plus doing everything that everyone else is doing. The experiment ultimately leads Kylie into a series of “yeses” she doesn’t want to give. Agreeing to a lunch out with her friends means giving up sushi with her mom, and going on an adult-free trip to the mall puts her into some uncomfortable situations. Through parties, beach days, and sleepovers, Kylie navigates her changing friendships as her familiar formulas no longer compute. In particular, Naomi, who becomes quick to tease, lie, and keep secrets, makes Kylie wonder what kind of maturity she really wants. Throughout, Kylie’s self-reflection and steady growth convey her abiding belief in honesty toward oneself and others, building a convincing and earnest arc for this endearing narrator. A meaningful and methodological story of friendship, family, and finding one’s own voice.

From the ">November/December 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.