KEEPING PACE, by Laurie Morrison, Harry N. Abrams, April 9, 2024, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 10-14)
Two former friends rethink their relationship while training for a half-marathon in Keeping Pace, a novel by Laurie Morrison.
Grace has been working for years to beat her former friend Jonah Perkins’s GPA so she can be named top scholar of the eighth grade. But when Jonah beats her for the title, it feels like none of Grace’s academic accomplishments have really mattered. They weren’t enough to win—or to impress her dad. And then the wide, empty summer looms. With nothing planned and no more goals or checklists, she doesn’t know what she’s supposed to be working toward.
Eager for something to occupy her days, Grace signs up for a half-marathon race that she and Jonah used to talk about running together. Jonah’s running it, too. Maybe if she can beat Jonah on race day, she’ll feel OK again. But as she begins training with Jonah and checking off a new list of summer goals, she starts to question what—and who—really matters to her. Is winning at all costs really worth it? —Synopsis provided by Harry N. Abrams
There need to be more books like Keeping Pace. This novel sits firmly in the upper middle grade/lower young adult space where so many readers find themselves lacking anything that relates to them.
At the center of Keeping Pace are Grace and Jonah. The story unfolds in first-person from Grace’s point of view. Grace has always felt like she needs to succeed at everything — mostly to win her father’s approval. She’s seen her sister “fumble” and failure is not an option.
Grace and Jonah used to be best friends, but when his dad died, their relationship evolved into rivals. As the two begin to train together, they realize how much they still need that friendship, even if it means not being perfect.
Author Laurie Morrison perfectly captures the evolution of friendship against the backdrop of personal traumas (the death of Jonah’s dad and her parent’s divorce). She writes with humor and heart, crafting an authentic read that will resonate readers who are facing their own challenges heading into junior or senior high school. It’s a thoughtful and engaging read that moves quickly and sticks with you after completion.
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