Redwood and Ponytail

Holt (Knockout) once again offers keen insight into the social pressures and vulnerabilities of middle schoolers in this novel in verse, which traces the mutual attraction between two seventh grade girls. “Tall as a palm tree” Tam, a jock, is sometimes mistaken for a boy; “with her “perfect/ swinging/ ponytail,” Kate resembles “every clichéd cheerleader.” Despite their differences, though, they establish a friendship that evolves into something deeper. Conflicts arise when Kate’s friends and social-status-obsessed mother disapprove of Tam, and she fears that people will see her as “twisted up,/ not right” because she is gay. Ultimately, she must choose between molding herself into the girl her mother wants her to be and following her own path. The girls’ interior monologues, sometimes merging on the page, sometimes visually set apart, effectively show their shared feelings and contrasting perspectives, and the voices of three onlooking students function as a Greek chorus, highlighting transitions in the girls’ relationship. In a story thoughtfully formed and eloquently executed, Holt offers affirmation and hope to readers struggling to fit in. Ages 10–14. [em]Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. (Oct.) [/em]