The New Norm (The New Norm #1)

Beginning the day before middle schooler Norm starts seventh grade, Gilbert’s warmhearted series kickoff follows a tween struggling to balance fame and authenticity. It’s been one week since a video of Norm’s “whoop whoop dance” went viral—shot and posted online by his father while Norm was groggy following wisdom-tooth surgery. Seemingly overnight, Norm’s cool (and lol-worthy) dance moves make him a minor celebrity, with kids flooding his comments and classmates mobbing him the moment he steps into school on the first day. Initially, Norm hopes his sudden boost in social status will strengthen his bond with his besties Jordan and Mia. But the popular crowd has little interest in including his companions in their admiration of Norm, forcing him to choose between his desire to fit in and his yearning to stay close to his true friends. As his attempts to juggle old loyalties and new attention falter, Norm must decide what he values most. Debut author Gilbert captures the outsize emotional stakes of everyday middle school moments with keen insight, and Norm’s wry, self-aware narration is both amusing and relatable. The result is a timely look at the tension between online identity and real-life relationships—and the cost of trying to maintain both. Publishing simultaneously: Pranks and Prejudice. Ages 8–12. (May)