Indies Introduce

Middle Grade

• 
  Jawbreaker, Christina Wyman
  Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR, 9780374389697/9781250331021, October 24, 2023 (Middle Grade)
  

  “Layered with preteen angst, family dynamics, the power of friendships and allies, consequences, and self-confidence, this book was instantly relatable and down to earth. Jawbreaker gives an honest, raw look at everyday issues in an occasionally humorous way, but also candidly exposes a covert form of bullying and being ‘othered.’”

  —Zsamé Morgan, Babycake’s Book Stack, St. Paul, MN
  
  

  “In the same vein as Raina Telgemeier and Judy Blume, Maxine ‘Max’ Plink dreads the day she’ll get her retainer and braces. To make matters worse, she has to deal with the bullying, the typical angst of school, and her own personal drama. Both funny and moving, and including real-life relatable family issues, this features the humor of Jeff Kinney but with the social themes of Gordon Korman.”

  —Gerard Villegas, Auntie’s Bookstore, Spokane, WA
  

  “Max Plink’s life is hard enough before the jawbreaker. Her parents are tough and uncommunicative, she faces a crush of verbal abuse from bullies when she climbs onto the school bus, and her little sister is turning from friend to enemy right before her eyes. And now there’s a piece of equipment wrapped around her head, forcing her jaws to align. With wry, realistic humor that dares to look the horrors of middle school right in the face, Wyman’s debut novel sparkles like brand-new braces.”

  —Talia Smart, Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC