What a great read this was. I saw flickers of myself in this shy inward character who loved vibrant colors, an understanding that she didn’t want to just fit in, but not yet found her voice to also be different. This book will speak to a lot of young kids and I loved the way they flipped the trope of the mean popular girl who turned out to hold true leadership spirit by supporting others. Sometimes it’s only in our heads that we imagine our foes and enemies.

Jillian "Jilly," is a 5th grade girl (around 10 years old in America), and has experienced some loss and trauma that taught her it's best to be unseen and unheard.

Grieving for her supportive and nurturing grandmother, Jilly struggles between her stifling learned behavior, and how her full-of-life Grammy encouraged her to live. As the one year anniversary of Grammy's death nears, Jilly is afraid she will be a disappointment if she can't overcome her fears and speak up by May Day.

A humiliating failure spurs Jilly on her personal mission to be seen. What she doesn't realize is that she isn't truly seeing many others around her. Look up, look around, look deeper.

This is a wonderful story about a young girl's efforts toward opening up, how she and her classmates affect each other, and that champions aren't made by winning, they're made by effort.

I recommend this book to readers young and old(er). It's a reminder that we all have struggles, and that "beautiful (good) people" may not be as far away as we think.

Jilly's hobby of weaving adds warmth and interest to the story. I found it fascinating, and anticipate that it will encourage kids of all ages to investigate the craft! I also loved reading about the development of an "oval" into a chick. It was handled delicately and with heart.

NOTE: People mention Judy Blume; I never read her books. But I always enjoyed Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, about a quirky little girl trying to make sense of her world and find out who she wanted to be. Harriet, unlike Jillian, was unsupervised and had no one to talk to--no good friend or adult role model, so she made some mistakes she could have avoided with help. Both girls are quiet, and have learned to be invisible (as much as possible), but they have different motivations for wanting to change.

5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review a free preview of this book.

#JustRightJillian #NetGalley

This was an adorable middle grades book with such an endearing and relatable narrator you’ll love to root for! Being a shy kid at one point, I found her inner dialogue to be so realistic, as were the friendships throughout the course of the book. For kids coping with the loss of a loved one and parents with chronic conditions, I think this book also speaks to how these challenges shape us but don’t define us.

Jillian is a smart, talented 5th grader. She's got loving, supportive parents, a teacher who really cares, some good friends, and an artistic talent for weaving beautiful cloth.

But scratch the surface and you'll find a miserable little girl. She worries about her mom having another lupus flare up, she's mourning the grandmother she lost not quite a year ago, and she's shy. The cliché description would be 'painfully shy', but in Jillian's case, it's really true.

Her shyness is keeping her from excelling in class. She also adopts her classmate's trend of 'twinning', dressing alike in standardized outfits and hairstyles for each day of the week. She hates the look (especially on beige day, beige makes her want to throw up!), but the fad helps her disappear into the crowd.

She's certainly not living her best life. I empathized with Jillian right away, having been a smart and shy girl in school myself. I wish I'd met Jillian back then. I could have learned so much from this little girl who wanted to keep the vow she made to her grandmother and come out of her shell. She doesn't like being shy - but she doesn't know how to fix it.

Finally, she decides she's going to take part in something that can't be won by a quiet, invisible girl. She agrees to compete in the school's annual competition, the "Mind Bender". She knows that she's got all the answers to win it - but getting those answers to come out of her throat is a nearly impossible task.

A side story beautifully parallels Jillian's struggles. Twelve eggs in an incubator are the featured science project in her classroom this year. I looked forward to the updates on the chicks progress, and I'll even admit that this old lady learned a lot about developing chicks!

As Jillian struggles to emerge from her own shell, she learns little lessons from the chicks, as well as from her friends, parents and teachers. Even her grandmother has a hand in her emergence, having taught her how to express her artistic talent through weaving.

I admired how well-woven (see what I did there?) the story was. Jillian and the chicks struggled side-by-side to grow and break free of their constraints. I appreciated that this wasn't a cliché battle against the popular crowd at school. There are characters that you won't like at first - but as time goes on, you 'll be surprised by your own change in attitude towards them.

Gift this book to any struggling, shy young woman you know. Heck, gift it to the shy young guys, too. I highly recommend Just Right Julian and hope it finds its way into many classrooms. The absolutely charming book cover should tempt middle graders to pick up the book and start reading.

My thanks to author Nicole D. Collier, Clarion Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Just Right Jillian is just right for any middle school reader. It's an empowering story of a girl who must overcome her extreme shyness to prove that she can compete in her school's academic contest, Mind Bender. The class science project watching chicks hatch serves as a metaphor for Jilian's journey, and ass she comes out her shell, Jillian learns to see others for who they are and not what they seem to be. Highly recommended!

This super cute book would be awesome in any classroom or elementary library. I love when books introduce a new concept or idea that students may not know about. In this book, while not central to the story, Jullian’s mom deals with having lupus. Students in grade 3 - 6 would enjoy this book.

A warm, gentle hug of a book, perfect for introverts like Jillian to help them discover--and grow confidence in--their strengths.

I enjoyed the character, Jillian. As an educator, I work with many students who are smart but sit quietly afraid to speak up. However, they just need that one little push to break out of their shell.. Jillian gains confidence and learns to out because of her desire to win the school competition. She gains her voice and so much more. Many young students will be able to connect with Jillian. They can learn along side her the best way how to break out of their shell.

I appreciated the use of character. Though maybe too young for my high school students. An enjoyable read.

Jillian learns to speak up for herself in just the right way and with understanding family and friends. A feel good novel for the shy kid in all of us.

This book was perfect. As a teacher specializing in mental health and emotional literacy I devoured this book. I loved the way the story was told via the egg incubation and chick hatching and the idea that people develop at different times. I loved how Jillian found her voice snd how supportive her parents were. As an adult with anxiety I felt the story helped me too. Could not recommend it more.

Middle schools are tough places. Everyone is trying to fit in and no one wants to be different. Jillian is no exception. She is a bright and personable but her shyness gets in her way. She is persuaded to enter an academic competition by her teacher, friends and parents. She decides to break out of her she’ll by wearing different clothing and hairstyles then her peers. Just Right Jillian is an excellent, easy to read book for any late elementary or early middle schooler who is having trouble finding her/his voice. It should be part of all school libraries. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC. I highly recommend it.

Jillian is my hero!

She is painfully shy but is able to overcome and speak out with the help of her family and frienemy turned friend throughout this book. I was a little worried that her frenemy, Rashida, was setting her up for a fall, but she wasn't she really wanted to become her friend and help her come out of her shell.

Jillian has had a rough year, her grandmother passed away and she can no longer weave because it was something that her grandmother taught her. She has always been afraid to speak up in class so the other students don't know what she can do. She has always followed the crowd and wore what everyone else decided to wear.

It is time for Jillian to make some changes. She decides she wants to win the most popular, and difficult, event in the school She is going to participate and hopefully win the Jemison Mind Bender, but for this she needs to find her voice and speak up!

I loved this book! I teach 4th grade and know kids like Jillian that are too afraid to make their own path. I have a couple this year that are very smart, but are unsure or afraid to let everyone know what they have to offer! I will be sharing this with my students this year and every year after. I am so thankful I was given the opportunity by NetGalley to read this in exchange for an honest review. It is definitely five stars!

Jillian is shy and afraid to speak up especially when she knows the answers in class. Grandma, who passed away last year, was quiet too and told Jillian she’ll grow out of her shyness and to be more confident. When it’s time for the annual Mind Benders grade level competition, Jillian knows she could do well but is afraid to try even when her teacher says it will be good for her. Jillian does try and makes it through the first few rounds. When she misses an important round, her teacher says if you get approval from the other teachers and students who were finalists for a redo we can do that. Does Jillian have the confidence to get approval? She thinks of what dad told her, “ if your heart knows what’s right, you have your answer.” Can she train her heart to believe in herself?

I loved this book and I adored Jillian and her family.

This is such an emotional and wonderful book about finding your voice and being yourself, and it's a book I'll recommend to readers of all ages

*I received a free digital copy of this title ahead of publication courtesy NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

What a charming book about finding your voice! I can’t wait to share this story with my 5th and 6th grade students.

Jillian Kees shrinking. She knows she’s right. She knows what to say. But it doesn’t always come out right, and she knows how mean some of her peers can be. But Jillian has all she needs to succeed in the form of the beautiful humans in her life.

This sweet read pulled out a couple tears and made me think fondly of the beauty and wonder of being a young student. Fantastic!

Jillian is a shy 5th grader who is afraid to speak up for herself. After her grandmother’s death, Jillian has more trouble than ever standing up for herself at school and speaking up when she needs to. Thanks to a wonderful teacher and friends who see the “real” Jillian, she begins to come out of her shell - just like the chicks hatching in her classroom at school! This is a wonderful book that tells the importance of speaking up for yourself and having confidence in who you are.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

ADORABLE!! Adding a copy to our school library for sure. Loved the writing and how spunky our main character was. So so cute.

This book was very good. The characters were vivid. I highly recommend it to teachers and parents looking for a title that has diverse characters.

Jillian is a very relatable character and I think this chapter book would be a great addition to my library's collection.