EArc provided by NetGalley for a fair and unbiased review

Autumn is starting middle school and it is hard. Her father left a year ago to join the Peace Corps and her BFF moved to California. Autumn's father is constantly encouraging her to do something big, to find her "one thing". Although shy, she finds friendship with Logan and Cooper, two new students in town.. The problem is that they don't like each other and often want Autumn to do different things, things that often put Autumn in a very hard place. Logan is outgoing and everyones friend. Cooper is an animal lover whose mom is working hard to keep them in their home. In her search for her big, she faces even more challenges and these new friendships are put to the test.

The story is fairly fast paced, but our author leaves nothing out. We get great character development, and a town that becomes alive as we read the novel. Most of our questions are eventually answered, but some not, just like in life. As a classroom read or for a book group, it has some great talking points and conversation starters.

I've just discovered this author and am now in search of more!

Elly Swartz delivers another sweet middle-grade book with a protagonist with anxiety. While I did not love this book as much as Finding Perfect and Give and Take (I think maybe it felt a bit too heavy-handed?), I still loved this story of Autumn, who is struggling to navigate middle school and two different new friends, along with her social anxiety. I love that Elly Swartz's books all tackle anxiety of different types, and as someone who has social anxiety as an adult, it was nice to see a character thinking some of the same thoughts I have thought over the years. I will definitely keep reading this author!

This was cute but not something I think I will revisit. I liked the main character and her journey and I think kids of all ages will enjoy this.

Middle school is hard enough without your best friend moving across the country and your dad deciding he's going to join the Peace Corps and move to Ecuador, but add in a profound fear of speaking in public, a new kid in town, and an iguana who suffers a near-death experience, and you have Autumn's life.

Determined to push herself and be bold, she winds up applying for and being chosen as the voice of "Dear Student," the advice column run by her English teacher in the school paper. It's a coveted job, but it comes with a strict non-disclosure agreement - Autumn cannot, under any circumstances, reveal that she is the person behind Dear Student.

As she begins to write responses to the anonymous submissions, the situation quickly turns more fraught than she bargained for: she finds herself navigating a minefield of hurt feelings, friendship drama, big issues, and trying to stay true to herself. Autumn is a likable, believable character, and her story about figuring out who you are and standing up for yourself and what you believe is something that will resonate with many students. A solid addition to a middle grade collection, great for grades 4+.

Dear Student
by Elly Swartz
Pub Date 15 Feb 2022
Random House Children's, Delacorte Press
Children's Fiction | Middle Grade


I am reviewing a copy of Dear Student through Random House Children’s and NetGalley:



Autumn finds starting middle school rough, especially since her BFF moved to California. She finds herself both anxious and uncertain as well as struggling to connect with her classmates. The two potential friends she does end up meeting could not be more different: bold Logan who has big ideas and quiet Cooper who's a bit mysterious. But Autumn has a dilemma: what do you do when the new friends you make don't like each other?



After Autumn is chosen to be the secret voice of the Dear Student letters in the Hillview newspaper, she finds herself smack in the middle of a problem with Logan and Cooper on opposite sides. Before Autumn is able to figure out what she needs to do, the unthinkable happens and her identity as Dear Student is threatened. Now, it's time for Autumn to find her voice, her courage, and follow her heart, even when it's divided.



I give Dear Student five out of five stars!



'Happy Reading!

Dear reader,

This novel is phenomenal! I have every intention of adopting 5 copies for my classroom book clubs in the near future. Autumn is going through some rough times. Her dad leaves to join the Peace Corps when he has an overwhelming desire to help others that cannot be ignored. He leaves behind Autumn, her mom and her little sister Pickle (nickname). Autumn's mom is a vet and runs a clinic in town. Without their dad around, they have to move into the apartments above the clinic and leave behind the house they has where Pickle and Autumn have their own rooms. Autumn is feeling all the emotions when 6th grade starts. Her best friend moved away, so she makes two new friends who couldn't be more opposite, yet Autumn feels loyalty to both.

Autumn struggles to find her voice and struggles to accept her emotions. When her teacher Mr. Baker opens up a job position for Dear Student, Autumn applies with all the hope that she could be at giving advice to other people. She gets the job and she's wonderful at giving advice. But then... she gets herself into a pickle. A new company in town is creating so many jobs, yet they test some of their products on animals. Having a guinea pig named Spud, Autumn sees both the good and the bad the company represents. So when she is faced with what to do about it, will she pick action or silence? Read on to find out.

Very realistic and very modern. I adored this novel and its social justice issues. Great messages. Wonderful read for middles!

Autumn knows change is hard- both her dad and her best friend have moved far away and she is stuck starting middle school alone. When she lands the coveted role as secret advice columnist on her middle school paper Autumn is thrilled until she begins to realize how hard it is to stay true to herself and keep friends. An amazing middle school story about friendship and finding yourself- this is a much purchase for any middle school library!

I loved this book, and so will my 6th graders. What a fun idea to have an advice column run by an anonymous student (selected by their teacher). I enjoyed the characters and could anticipate the drama that ensued when conflicting advice was given to both friends about testing on animals. There is always more than one side to a story, and I appreciate the way author Elly Swartz showed this to her readers.

The author did a great job of illustrating the anxiety that goes along with starting middle school and navigating new friendships. I appreciated the communications with her friend Prisha, who had moved away, as well as the family dynamics but wish Autumn had gotten a better resolution with her father at the end.

An incredible book about finding yourself, being true to yourself, and always speaking from the heart. Autumn learns that there's not always one right answer, that what is brave for one person might feel lousy for another, and as long as you stay true to yourself, you'll be proud of yourself in the end. A fabulous read for middle grade students and beyond!

This was a well-developed story with authentic characters. So much positive support, validation without being didactic. I love the dilemmas (choices aren’t black and white!), and what Padma Venkatraman said- “honesty and heart.”

Thank you so much to #NetGalley Elly Swartz, and the publisher for the early release of this wonderful book. What a fantastic book for late elementary students and early middle school students to teach them to fight for what they believe in and how to handle the intense peer pressure that sadly comes with attending school these days.
The main character Autumn suffers from social anxiety now that her dad has left town to join the Peace Corps. Autumn is starting middle school and makes new friends that test who she is and what she believes in. I hope students will read this book and learn to not only fight for what they believe in, but also learn the powers of just being true to yourself. I cannot wait to encourage my students to purchase this book.

Author Elly Swartz understands her audience. Much to love in her newest- Dear Student -coming in February. Navigating friendship, bravery, social anxiety, finding your voice, a Middle School advice column, and more.

Ella Swartz has captured the essence of being a new middle schooler in her book Dear Student. Autumn Blake is a sixth grader whose family has been shaken up by her dad’s leaving to enter the Peace Corps. She lives above her mom’s veterinary office with her little sister Pickle and their pets. She makes friends with Logan and Cooper who are both new to Cape Cod. When her teacher picks Autumn to write the advice column for the school newspaper, she finds her voice. Autumn wants to be popular like like but she gets along much better with Cooper. When doing the “right thing” could hurt one of her friends, Autumn finds a creative solution. I enjoyed this book and think it would a great read for any middle schooler. I thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A wonderful story of friendship conflicted feelings, and understanding others while navigating middle school.

Thanks to NetGalley for this e ARC of Dear Student by Elly Swartz. While I enjoyed Dear Student, I didn't enjoy it as much as some of Elly Swartz' other books. Maybe my expectations were too high. I knew that the main character was going to be facing social anxiety and I was disappointed that it wasn't addressed more in the book. As a parent of someone with social anxiety, I was hoping to connect a little more with the character, but it generally came across more as that the main character was just very shy. Nevertheless the book was well written and the story was compelling as is the case with Elly Swartz' other books.

Autumn is just starting middle school and her best--really only friend--has just moved across the country. Her mother is a vet and she connects more with animals than with people. Her father has recently moved to Ecuador to join the Peace Corps and will be gone a few years and Autumn feels abandoned. On the first day of school, she meets two very dissimilar people who become her new friends, although they don't really like each other.

Her father, has encouraged her to Seize the Day, and join one thing in middle school. She decides to apply to be the new anonymous advice-giver of the Dear Student column because she feels the invisible nature of the column will be right up her alley and she thinks she is good at helping people, never really expecting to get chosen. When one of her friends writes in for advice, problems ensue.

Again, this is a very good book, I just had different expectations for it.

I loved this one so much! I want more from Autumn and her friends and family! I loved the bits of Jewish culture interspersed throughout. I loved how Autumn learns to find her voice and deal with some of her anxiety through words, but also believing more in herself.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

Elly Swartz ha such a way of drawing in the reader from page one. She writes characters you can easily connect to and who face challenges similar to yours.
In Dear Student a new middle schooler is facing family challenges and a few friendship issues as she comes across an opportunity to do something "big" with her year. She's decent becomes the school advice columnist and that brings way more challenge than she was expecting. She learns to speak her truth and opinions even when ours hard and still fight for her friends at the same time.
On top of all this great story plot, the author gives a recipe for the delicious whoopie pies made in the book. We can't wait to give them a try.
Dear Student is a must read!

This was a familiar story idea told in a fresh way. My students will relate to Autumn's friendship issues and general middle school angst. I found myself deeply caring about the characters and rooting for them. Navigating the treacherous waters of middle school can be tough, and Swartz nailed the struggle. In addition, I appreciate the view into Judaism as there are not enough middle grade books with Jewish characters. Swartz's books are always a hit in my classroom, and this one will be as well.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC of this book. This book would be a great read aloud. Autumn is struggling with her father's absence, a move, and two new friend possibilities that don't seem to mesh well with each other. There's a lot to learn in this one, and even more to discuss.