A sweet book about being shy, friendship, and learning to find your voice. I love the relationships in this book. I love the portrayal of adults they are both cool and thoughtful, but also clueless and with foibles. All characters have something going on with them that make them human. Kudos for having a parent who is fallible but not necessarily a complete disaster. There can be family dramas without it having to be that the parents are completely horrid alcoholics who beat their kids. Excellent choice for 2-4 grades