Dear Student has many lessons in believing in oneself and being a friend. Readers will love this one.

Really nice middle grade friendship/family story. The characters are all well-differentiated - Autumn was a great narrator, and I especially liked the background touches of Judaism in her life and the way her friendship with Prisha was able to survive long distance. I also appreciated that not all the storylines had easy answers. In fact, the parts which wrapped up really neatly, such as the animal testing plot (and especially the graffiti twist, which didn't feel really well thought out) fell somewhat flat for me. Logan's choice of Autumn as a friend was also somewhat confusing - it seemed more a necessity of the story than a natural character behavior, especially considering the way things ended up playing out in their relationship.

This is a Middle Grade book. The main character in this book is Autumn who is in middle school, and she is struggling with anxiety and connecting with kids in her new school. I think this book shows what it is like being a student struggling with a lot of things. I really like the main character and all the animals in this book. I also like that this book will show kids that they are not the only one that struggles making friends. The plot/story line is really good. I really enjoyed reading this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Delacorte) or author (Elly Swartz) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

4.5 stars for this realistic fiction middle grade book. I love the reminder to kids, and adults, to speak up when things are going on that don't feel right. I also liked how the book looked at Autumn's feelings around her dad joining the Peace Corps. It would also be really interesting to hear the advice students would give each other if they could do it anonymously...how much of the advice changes?

Starting middle school is hard enough, but imagine starting middle school after your best friend moves and you're dealing with anxiety. Autumn is not looking forward to middle school. Autumn escapes the worry and anxiety of all the changes in her life through writing. After sharing some of her writing in class, her teacher believes she's the perfect person to be this year's anonymous advice writer, Dear Student. Between two friends who don't like each other, a father who has left for noble reason and trying to keep her identity secret, Autumn works to figure out how to be true to herself.
I've read other books by Elly Swartz and was excited to read her newest middle grade book. I loved the diversity of the characters and the positive friendships that shown in the book. I worried as I read that everything would solve itself with a nicely tied bow. Instead the author gave us a thoughtful and hopeful ending that was true to Autumn. This will be a wonderful addition to my classroom library and address so many topics in a kid-friendly way-social anxiety, peer relations, separated families, and there's a recipe thrown in for good measure!

Dear Student is a true-to-life examination of social anxiety and how hard it can be to figure out who is truly a good friend. This slice-of-life story touches on several topics from animal cruelty and activism, to a writer protagonist who manages anxiety by writing, and a friend whose family is in a different socio-economic class with differing concerns than his peers. If you like stories with sweet sister duos and plenty of animals -- furry and non-furry, you'll enjoy this one.

Elly Swartz knows the life and minds of middle schoolers! In this book, Autumn was already concerned about starting middle school but now her best friend has moved away and she needs to not only start school but without her BFF. Learning how to navigate classes and learning how to make new friends when one was used to the way things were are things that Autumn must deal with. Once she has been able to find some friends, what is one supposed to do if your new friends don't like each other? Finding your place in middle school along with your place within your friendships is always tough. Autumn must find her place in both, even if it means that she may be making some friends upset with her.

12yo Autumn has just started 6th grade. Her BFF just moved to California, and Autumn is worried about starting middle school alone. Walking to school on the first day, she meets Cooper when he accidently injures a baby lizard on the road. Then, at school that day, Autumn is invited to have lunch with Logan, a gregarious girl who seems to make friends easily. Maybe there's a chance for friendships after all. A favorite part of the school paper is "Dear Student" an advice column which will be written by a 6th grade student secretly assigned by Mr. Baker. Autumn applies (so does Logan) and when Autumn gets the job, she finds giving advice secretly is much harder than she thought, and could hurt her newly found friendships.

Autumn is a great character, a lot going for her as well as a lot going on in her life (don't get me started about her father "leaving to join the peace corps" (what??)) She's resilient, thoughtful and is really trying to do the right thing even though she's going through a lot. Realistic representation of today's kids - Cooper and Logan were also experiencing some challenges. I liked the middle school drama and how a rumor can spread through the whole school in just a few class periods.

I love this book and can think of several students who will want to read it. Autumn is missing her dad while he is away serving in the Peace Corps and her best friend who recently moved. In addition to this, she struggles with anxiety and feels uneasy at times, but she is really striving to find what she is good at and use it in the best way possible. She faces some tough challenges when her two best friends become angry with her because of her beliefs and how she handles some situations in her role as a student advice columnist. Autumn has to really look at her own heart and decide how to move forward. I can’t wait until it is published!

I enjoyed the characters and would certainly read a future book about their adventures. There’s potential there. Middle school is hard, yes. But I found the characters’ worries & concerns a bit too repetitive. Younger middle grade readers will enjoy this. Thanks to Netgalley, publisher and author for review copy.

What a beautiful book. Elly Swartz does such a wonderful job of capturing the nuances of social anxiety and changing friendships in middle school. As a main character, Autumn is engaging and easy to sympathize with--especially when she doesn't feel comfortable verbalizing her true feelings. She manages to find a bravery that is both realistic and rewarding for the reader, and kids who have trouble finding their voices and/or being seen will definitely relate to her story. The "Dear Student" letters add an extra pop that keeps this book a definite page-turner. Both public and school libraries would benefit greatly from this book.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Autumn is having a tough fo of it. Her father has decided to pursue his dreams and join the Peace Corps, so he is in Guatemala. Her best friend, Prisha has moved away from Cape Cod. Since the family doesn't have the income from her father's accounting job, the mother has moved Autumn and her sister Pickle to an apartment over her veterinary practice, Hillview Vet. It doesn't help that while walking to school on the first day, Autumn sees a boy run over an iguana in the street with his bike. The two take the animal to her mother, who says it will probably be okay, but the boy says he has to leave. Autumn figures he is a summer tourist, and is a bit sad, because he was not as diffictult to talk to as other people. When Autumn finally makes it to school, she finds that the boy, Cooper, is actually in her class. She is also approached by the bubbly new student, Logan, who is dogged in her determination to befriend Autumn, even inviting her to her house after Logan takes her ball python to Hillview Vet. Autumn is glad to have a friend, but uncomfortable with many of Logan's ideas. Logan has also befriended a popular crowd, and wants Autumn to eat lunch with them, but Autumn ends up eating in a science classroom with Cooper, whose father is also not in the picture. When her teacher announces that he will be picking a 6th grade to be the new voice of the secret "Dear Student" column, Autumn wants to apply... but so does Logan. Autumn doesn't quite believe it when she is picked, but starts to write the columns with a good attitude, happy that she can report to her father that she did something brave and joined one thing, as he asked. Of course, Logan also wants to go to dances, wear matching shirts, and picket a new local business that tests cosmetics on animals. As "Dear Student", Autumn encourages a protest, and finds herself dragged into the planning of this, which angers Cooper, whose mother works at the company and is dependent on the job. Logan doesn't care for Cooper, and Autumn is torn between the two friends. Her anxieties prove valid as she struggles to deal with all of these issues while trying to step up to take care of Pickle.
Strengths: Today's students have a lot to deal with, and it's good to see depictions of families who are struggling with income, housing, and parenting arrangements. Many of my students care for younger siblings. The world has not been all suburban ranches with fathers who go to the office and mothers who are at home for a very long time. Being right above the veterinary practice, and in a community with a changing seasonal population was an interesting setting. Logan was a particularly fascinating character-- a new kid who ISN'T struggling to make friends and who is dealing with a powerful mother who works long hours. The friendship dynamic was absolutely tru to life-- Autumn really wants a friend, even though she doesn't always agree with Logan's plans! The social activism was also pretty typical-- Logan doesn't really investigate the company, but it's good that the students can affect positive change and still have Cooper's mother keep her job! Autumn's struggles with the newspaper column also highlight a typical middle grade mindset; things can be great in theory, but a lot harder in real life.
Weaknesses: I've never been at a middle school that had a newspaper, but this is certainly a popular topic for fiction. Even Beany Malone wanted to be a reporter! I was also personally VERY angry at the father. Children are at home for such a brief percentage of your life (if you're lucky and live a long time), so the fact that he is willing to sacrifice some of those years seemed odd. I could definitely understand why Autumn was upset. This is also an example of a book where the main character could have been in 8th grade, which would have extended the readership audience a bit.
What I really think: This is a title that will be popular with readers of Scrivan's Nat Enough, Libenson's Invisible Emmie, Keller's The Science of Breakable Things, and Gerber's Taking Up Space. It was very similar to Bryant's very recent Abby, Ready or Not, to the point where I kept thinking that Autumn had a younger brother rather than Pickle!

Autumn Blake's father has left the family to complete a mission with the Peace Corps, while she stays home with her mom and little sister. He challenges her to join one thing during her first year at Hillview Middle School.

Mr. Baker, who just happens to be Autumn's advisor and ELA teacher, has posted an opening for a new Dear Student columnist for the school paper. Autumn fills out her application and earns the position. A position she must keep secret from her new friends Logan and Cooper.

Throughout the book Autumn faces many challenges including learning that a friend is really not a friend, having two friends that aren't friends with each other (just with Autumn), having mixed emotions about her father's absence and finding her voice.

This book is a must have in middle grade libraries. Ms. Swartz covers the mixed up world of middle school with emotion and true-to-life scenarios that students will be able to relate to.

This book will be well-received by teachers and middle-grade students alike. Who can't empathize with a character who is nervous about sticking out or fitting in? While a bit unrealistic (one march led by students in one town is the impetus for such huge immediate change?) I hope it will inspire readers to do what they think is right and stand up for what they believe in.
All in all, a good read, appropriate for all classrooms.

I am grateful to have received an early copy of this book from the author and publisher.

Dear Student is a beautiful middle grade novel that will be a huge hit with my upper elementary students. The authentic characters are relatable as are the challenges they face. Themes of friendship, starting at a new school, friends moving away, fitting in, balancing the interests of friends with those of your own as well as those of other friends, standing up for what you believe in even when others disagree, speaking up for what you know is right, being brave looking different for different people, and missing people who are physically missing as well as emotionally absent are all experiences readers will easily identify in their own lives. I especially enjoyed all the shoutouts to cherished stories from other authors as Autumn reads with her little sister Pickle.

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Elly Swartz nailed it again with situations realistic enough to have been plucked from my middle school classroom. She effectively captures the issues of pre-teen conflicts and paints a picture of how messy friendships and family dynamics can be. Readers will adore the relationship between Autumn and her little sister, Pickle. I love how the importance of teacher relationships, standing up for your beliefs, being true to yourself, and loyalty to friends and family were clear messages throughout the novel. Autumn used writing as her outlet in dealing with her conflicting emotions regarding her friendships and her father going away to join the Peace Corps. This book also served as a model for how students can be activists. #bookposse

A middle grade read that deals tactfully with issues that middle schoolers deal with on a daily bases. Perfect for that kid going into middle school.

This book is an addition that should be added to classroom libraries! Elly Swartz knows how to connect and help students/young people! A must read!

Dear Student by Ellie Swartz is a hopeful story about friendship, family, and navigating the highs and lows of middle school.
Autumn Blake is a sixth grader, who is having a difficult time adjusting to middle school after her best friend moved to California. Autumn struggles to make new connections and has a difficult time coping with her social anxiety. To make matters worse, Logan and Cooper, the two friends she’s interested in befriending don’t get along.
Hoping to find a place to belong, Autumn applies for and is selected to be the advice columnist in her school newspaper, Dear Student. Just when Autumn is finding a way to confidently use her voice, things get complicated when she must give advice to Logan and Cooper and her secret identity is threatened. Will Autumn be brave enough to use her voice without hiding behind her anonymity?
I really loved this book and found it hard to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed Autumn as a character and I also really liked her little sister, Pickle. Middle school can be such an overwhelming place. This book serves as a reminder for anyone living through it to be true to yourself, speak from the heart, and to get involved in at least one thing that interests you.

Reading Autumn’s account of her anxiety and fear about being seen at school, in the neighborhood, and her family plus her struggles to respond to her father leaving for a 2 year stint with the Peach Corps and her best (and only) friend moving away was almost physically painful because it hit so close to home. I and many of my students will connect to Autumn’s insecurities in a deeply personal way and other students may develop a bit of empathy for those who are not as socially secure as they are. Regardless of perspective, I hope all readers see Autumn’s example of being true to her beliefs and her efforts at revealing who she really is on the inside and are inspired to find their own super power/courage and step out into new territory. Middle grade students will appreciate that, as in real life, not all situations are resolved neatly or perfectly. Excellent book for students in grades 4-6, free of sexual content, profanity, and violence. Representation: Autumn is Jewish and while this is not a major part of the plot, a number of Jewish celebrations and traditions are included in her story. Prisha, the BFF who had to move, presents as Middle Eastern. MCs Cooper and Logan present as Caucasian.