J. J. Grabenstein

ARC from SJL Day of Dialog at Cambridge Public Library, fall 2019

Piper Milly loves science, particularly astronomy, but doesn't feel she's a standout in any way - not like her musician father and mother. But after Piper's mother's death, when Piper was three, her dad gave up Broadway dreams to have a steadier job as a music teacher. Now, he's been offered a job at fancy Chumley Prep, and it comes with free tuition for Piper...who doesn't really want to go. She doesn't want to leave her friends at Westside, and she overheard a nasty bunch of Chumley students at the winter a cappella show.

But Piper doesn't say anything to her dad, and her start at Chumley mid-year - in January - isn't as terrible as she feared. She likes her science and English teachers and finds a few friends - jokey Kwame, magician Tim ("Timdini"), and smart Emily. Mean girl Ainsley, however, hates Piper instantly and is constantly making fun of her and asserting her superiority.

The competitive nature of the students at Chumley gets even more intense when a new award, the Excelsior, is introduced, but the criteria for winning are vague, which makes many students desperate - and makes Piper think that maybe she has a shot at it, especially after winning the science fair.

SHINE is a realistic middle grade novel that shows seventh-grade Piper navigating typical challenges, such as building and maintaining friendships and thinking about what kind of person she wants to be (prompted by her English teacher's assignment). Ainsley shows little character development, but it's evident that her mom's pressure is part of what causes her perfectionism. Magician Tim is clearly motivated by a desire for his dad's attention (and he gets it at the talent show). Kwame is funny but undeveloped, and Emily and Hannah don't have much of their own stories at all. Piper, though, learns and grows - and triumphs - with her dad's love and support.

Quotes

She is so mad at me. It's like I stole something she thought she was entitled to. (109)

It makes me wonder: is there any way to be a person who wins without losing all of your friends? (122)

Who do I want to be? Someone who always finds a way to do good. (133)

"But honey, nobody is just one thing." (Dad to Piper, 135)… (meer)