READY OR NOT! #1: ABBY IN BETWEEN, by Megan E. Bryant, Penguin Workshop, Feb. 15, 2022, Hardcover, $16.99 (ages 8-12)
A girl goes through growing pains in Ready or Not! #1: Abby In Between, the first book in a new middle-grade series by Megan E. Bryant.
For nine-year-old Abby McAdams, everything seems to be changing.
Her cousin and best friend, Zoe, has moved across the country, her mom is going back to work, and Abby is stuck in the only after-school activity still available — running — which she absolutely loathes. Her perspective on the world is changing, too, after an encounter in her community sheds light on the issue of homelessness in her town. On top of everything, sudden changes in Abby’s body mean she has to deal with things like deodorant, bras, and uncomfortable conversations. And without her best friend by her side, she’s not sure she can handle it all.
She’s not a grown-up yet, but she definitely doesn’t feel like a little kid anymore. She’s Abby, in between. —Synopsis provided by Penguin Workshop
Kids grow up. As much as parents dread puberty, there’s no putting it off. And it’s coming at an earlier age. That’s why books like Megan E. Bryant’s Abby In Between are so important. They help kids know that they’re not alone; that it’s OK to be scared; and that talking to a trusted adult can help.
Abby is overwhelmed. A lot of kids Abby’s age are overwhelmed. Abby is a character that kids can identify with — even if the changes she’s facing aren’t something they’ve encountered … yet. Abby is blindsided by those changes, and a book like this one can help prevent at least some of that in real life.
That’s not to say Bryant goes into too much detail. Each element is approached in a thoughtful way with parents and a pediatrician providing basic information. It offers a strong starting point for conversation with your own child.
And though Abby In Between does focus on physical changes, it also centers on personal, emotional growth through Abby’s friendships and relationships with her own family. It’s a smart, contemporary novel I won’t hesitate to hand to my own daughter in about a year.
