This one was cute, but I just felt eh about it mostly. I do see myself recommending it to kids who like more realistic fiction -- it makes me think of Kelly Yang for some reason

"Where You’ve Got to Be" earns a solid 4 stars for its resonant exploration of identity and relationships against the backdrop of Jewish High Holy Days in New York City. The story adeptly captures the challenges faced by Nolie as she grapples with changing dynamics with her sister and best friend. Gertler weaves a well-written narrative that delves into the complexities of growing up, making it a timely and relevant read.

The inclusion of Jewish culture adds a distinctive and prominent layer to the storytelling. The novel provides a thoughtful journey, allowing readers time to consider the possibilities, making it a compelling choice for tween listeners. The voice-driven narrative, reminiscent of other beloved works, hits the sweet spot for those who appreciate depth and sincerity in contemporary realistic stories.

A sweet story about a girl who is too young to clearly understand the family's dynamics, but learns she must mature because her family can no longer afford for her to remain so sheltered. She evolves toward being what her family needs her to be. Very emotional, moving story.for middle graders.

the story was good. but it was hard to listen too with the voice synthesizer. my son asked me to turn it off when he was in the car.

"Where You've Got to Be" is a middle grade coming-of-age tale about Nolie, a 6th-grade Jewish girl growing up in New York City.
Everything is changing for Nolie. Her sister Linden is getting even more serious about ballet and doesn't care about their end-of-summer Cousin Camp-out or the seashell necklace their grandmother gives each of them.
Nolie's best friend is finding new friends and is either ignoring her or trying to make her change into someone else. All these changes lead Nolie down a path of trying to find out who she is, but by stealing things that aren't hers, little by little.
This story is very heartfelt and a great read for middle school students who are no doubt going through some of the same life changes. This story also features a Jewish-American protagonist and family, and in a way that is very approachable for young readers who may not be familiar at all with Jewish customs.
At times, Nolie seemed to have thoughts that were a little too self-aware for someone her age, and the ending seemed somewhat sudden, but overall, the story resolved itself well and left me with a warm feeling, knowing that Nolie would figure things out, and with the hope that those who read this story will also figure out who they are and who they want to be.

First, I'd like to thank NetGalley for this eAudio Arc in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Our family lives in New York and has a very busy life with the oldest staring as Marie in the ballet, The Nutcracker. .
Nolie feels herself being left behind by her sister and her friends, who seem to be growing in a way she's not quite ready for. The summer before 6th grade has gone terribly wrong and it's only getting worse. It's all about ballet and being told to be a whole new person, Magnolia (her birth name)

Trying to figure things out and gain attention, Nolie starts acting out in ways not typical for her. She tries to justify her actions to herself and sometimes to others. As middle school is a rough period, I think tween girls will identify with Nolie, whether it's the older sibling, the mean girls, or issues with her religion.

Disclaimer: I received this e-audiobook from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Where You’ve Got To Be

Author: Caroline Gertler

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Jewish MC and side characters, Anxiety disorder MC

Recommended For...: middle grade readers, contemporary, Jewish rep

Publication Date: September 13, 2022

Genre: MG Contemporary

Age Relevance: 8+ (sibling fights, bullying, anxiety and anxiety attack, eating and dieting, microaggressions, antisemitism, assimilation, vomiting)

Explanation of Above: There are a couple of fights between the siblings in this book. There is some bullying, microaggressive comments, and antisemitism is discussed. The MC has anxiety and it is shown throughout the book, along with an anxiety attack. There is eating shown and dieting mentioned in this book. There is some discussion about assimilation. There is some vomiting shown in the book.

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Pages: 288

Synopsis: Nolie's sister, Linden, may be only fourteen months older than she is, but suddenly that feels longer than it ever has before. Linden is growing up. She cuts short their Cousins Week at Grandma's beach cottage to focus on excelling in her ballet auditions, and she throws away the seashell necklace Grandma gave each of them--though Nolie secretly saves it. Even Nolie's best friend, Jessa, is suddenly trying to act older and cooler, and she wants Nolie to be someone different, too.

With everything and everyone changing around her, Nolie starts to feel adrift. Should she be changing, too? Who does she want to be? One impulsive decision leads to another and another . . . until Nolie has a secret collection of things that don't belong to her. Now, Nolie must face the fact that she may have ended up on the wrong path so she can start to find her way back.

Review: This was such a cute book! I loved the story and I loved how well it well for middle graders, who are in that awful in-between stage of being a kid and being a teen, with friends on either side that are influencing their decisions. The book did well talking about peer pressure and alluding to why children may act out. In my studies of childhood crime and in seeing it in my former workplace, it’s very apparent that the vast majority of children use petty crime as a way of trying to get attention or to call attention to a big problem that they’re having. It was nice that the book handled that situation well and it took care to get the details right. The book did well with the character development and world building as well.

The only issue I had with the book is that I felt like it was a bit too slow paced in spots and that it stalled out on some parts that weren’t as important as others.

Verdict: It was great! Highly recommend!

Nolie thought sixth grade would be just like fifth, but then her older sister cuts short summer vacation in lieu of ballet practice and Nolie's best friend decides the two of them can't be friends unless Nolie improves herself. No one seems to care what Nolie wants. Sometimes she isn't sure herself. But she certainly doesn't want to be known as a thief.

This story started out really complicated. I was a bit disappointed when it reached a midpoint where Nolie has to make a decision between getting in trouble for telling the truth or getting in trouble for telling a lie. It's the sort of thing that could have been avoided with a bit of simple communication, but I still remember what it was like being a middle schooler who wasn't quite brave enough to admit I'd made a mistake, so it's not like I don't understand. It's just an awkward trope. Otherwise, I appreciated how the complex themes of this story, including the family's lifestyle and Jewish heritage, Nolie's longing to belong and be heard, the complexities of changing friendships, and how hard it can be to find where you truly belong. While there's a lot going on, it's woven together well to create a full story and believable characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this audio ARC. All opinions are my own.

I received this voice-synthesized audiobook ARC, of Where You've Got to Be by Caroline Gertler, through Net Galley from Harper Audio, in exchange for a truthful review.

New Yorker Nolie (real name Magnolia, a name she does NOT prefer) is having a hard time with unexpected transitions starting the summer before 6th grade. Her summer plans don't go as planned, her best friend begins to change, her older sister is aloof and consumed with dance passions.

Nolie starts acting out in ways not typical for her. The novel is mostly an internal dialog on how she justifies her actions and tries to work through resolutions to her problems. I felt for Nolie, as she experiences "mean middle school girls" behavior. Nolie's family is Jewish and some insensitivities regarding her religion are experienced as well. I think middle grade students would empathize with Nolie and the problems she faces.

This was my first synthesized voice audiobook. I was both pleasantly surprised by how lifelike the synthesized voice was in its intonations while also perturbed when it did occasionally make an intonation/emotion mistake, reminding me that it was synthesized (like the drawn out exclamation "Mmmm", pronounced as an abbreviated 'Muh").

I used the net galley audio to listen to this and decide on purchase of the book. It was the digital voice version. If this becomes available through Sora as an audio I will be book talking and recommending on there as well. Gertler has created that pitch perfect middle grade that is a common middle grade experience. Magnolia called Noli is feeling left behind by family and friends. Everything is changing and when you feel as though no one really cares about your feelings and how you are losing your spot in the family it makes you act out. The author doesn’t make Noli someone to dislike, though. You feel hurt and understand why she makes the deconstructed she does. Preordering this for my school.

I so enjoyed what it was like for the girl in the story and Jessa her old friend. I went through step by step how she felt in her role as a 6th grade. How she was changing and having new friends like Serena. Also what it was like with her sister and mom. It show struggles of a teenage girl.

Book: Where You’ve Got to Be
Author: Caroline Gertler
Audio: Voice Galley
Publisher: Harper Audio
Genre: Middle School
Pub Date: September 13, 2022
Rating: 3.3 Stars

Protagonist pre-teen Nolie is trying to ‘fit in’. Right now she is feeling left out by her parents as her older sister Linden seems to always get her way. Linden is a great ballet dancer and on her way to stardom and seems to be their parent’s pride & joy.
Also Nolie’s best friend Jessa want to ask cool and asks Nolie to make changes ~ such as call herself by her given name Magnolia or roll the waist of her school uniform to made her skirt much shorter.
Nolie is having a hard time with herself –her relationship with her best friend and the jealous she is feeling about not being special.

There is no doubt this is a difficult age ~ part Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde also this period is also like the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly.

Story leaves us with the hope that yes sometimes things do turn out for the best.

Want to thank NetGalley and Harper Audio for this early Voice Galley which was created with a synthetic voice and not the final audiobook which will be narrated by a professional audiobook performer.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 13, 2022

A cute book about finding oneself and not hiding in the shadow of your siblings. Any younger sister can relate on some level.

This was a good, cute book about sister, friends and just how relationships fall apart and sometimes come back together

VoiceGalley Review: This is a fantastic middle grade read! Being 12 isn't easy and you can find yourself stuck between too old and too young. Nollie's story will resonate with many middle grade readers. Perfect addition to any bookshelf!