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1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
If Austin picked a color to describe his life, it would be tumbleweed brown. Austin doesn't like standing out. He moves a lot, so he's always the new kid, and there's no hiding his size. Plus, Austin has a secret ... one he's become an expert at hiding.
Then Austin meets Bertie, who is razzmatazz. Everything about Bertie is bursting! But the best part of Austin's newest school is the Safety Squad, with their laser lemon vests. Their cool confidence stands out in the best way.
Not everything is vibrant, though. His classmate Dee makes Austin feel pacific blue, and things aren't always easy at home. But for the first time, Austin wants to leave a mark. And the more he speaks up, the more he finds he may not be so
different after all.
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from October 4, 2021
      Austin is used to being the new kid in class; along with his mother, the presumed-white fourth grader has moved so many times that he has developed strategies to stay under the radar and to conceal his trouble reading (“If you turn the pages too fast, teachers notice”). On his first day at a new school, Austin meets blue-eyed, effervescent classmate Bertie, who encourages him to apply to Safety Squad. Taciturn Austin relishes the idea of helping younger kids “on the bus and off the bus with their huge backpacks and their shoebox projects,” and though he imagines doing the job with easy confidence, he can’t bring himself to ask his unpredictable and avoidant mom to sign the permission slip. Austin’s narration is conversational and observant, threaded with descriptive colors and metaphors that hint at his learning obstacles: “It wasn’t like I could tell her that the words started to look like bricks, and the letters started to look like ants, and then the ants turned into dead leaves that were shriveled up with the edges all curling.” Swender’s (Solving for M) brief, textured tale never spells out the extent of Austin’s reading difficulty, while his vigilant protection of his secret and near constant anxiety at it being discovered imbues this thoughtful character study with tension and drive. Ages 9–12. Agent: Jennifer Weltz, Jean V. Naggar Literary.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Christopher Gebauer establishes a youthful voice for Austin, who once again is the new kid in class after he and his mom move to town. Constantly worried that they may pack up and move again at any moment, Austin struggles, as usual, to settle in. He tries to lie low on his first day of school and keep to himself, but his new teacher, Ms. G., encourages him to participate, and new classmates welcome him. Gebauer captures Austin's insecurities when it comes to fitting in and reading. Listeners will cheer on Austin in this school story as he opens up and becomes an important part of his new community. M.D. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

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  • English

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