Unstuck (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781534489868)

From critically acclaimed author Barbara Dee comes a middle grade novel about a girl whose struggles with anxiety and writer's block set off unexpected twists and turns, both on and off the page.

Lyla is thrilled when her seventh-grade English language arts class begins a daily creative writing project. For the past year, she's been writing a brilliant fantasy novel in her head, and here's her chance to get it on paper! The plot to Lyla's novel is super complicated, with battle scenes and witches and a mysterious one-toed-beast, but at its core, it's about an overlooked girl who has to rescue her beautiful, highly accomplished older sister.

But writing a fantasy novel turns out to be harder than simply imagining one, and pretty soon Lyla finds herself stuck, experiencing a panic she realizes is writer's block. Part of the problem is that she's trying to impress certain people--like Rania, her best friend who's pulling away, and Ms. Bowman, the coolest teacher at school. Plus, there's the pressure of meeting the deadline for the town writing contest. A few years ago, Lyla's superstar teen sister Dahlia came in second, and this time, Lyla is determined to win first prize.

Finally, Lyla confides about her writing problems to Dahlia, who is dealing with her own academic stress as she applies to college. That's when she learns Dahlia's secret, which is causing a very different type of writer's block. Can Lyla rescue a surprisingly vulnerable big sister, both on the page and in real life?

Author: Barbara Dee
ISBN-10: 153448986X
ISBN-13: 9781534489868
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
Language: English
Published: 02/27/2024
Pages: 288
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.80w x 1.30d

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.3
Point Value: 6
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 522247 / Unstuck


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 11/27/2023
Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2023
Booklist 12/01/2023 pg. 128
School Library Journal 02/02/2024 pg. 1