While Slouch is geared towards middle-grade readers, I feel like many adults could also benefit from reading it. Stevie's story is unique, and yet some of the obstacles she goes through are, unfortunately, common for many young girls. Christina Wyman does a wonderful job of handling delicate topics with grace and crafted a story that will resonate with its readers.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wyman does it again! Another well-written realistic fiction geared toward middle-grade kids who are feeling anxious about everything!

Wyman does a great job writing protagonists who are well-rounded and flawed, but ultimately good. Stevie struggles with figuring out who she wants to be, while struggling with her parents and their lack of income to provide for her. I like how no one's really a "villain" in Wyman's books, just human and flawed. Her parents aren't really trying to be antagonistic, but they aren't helping Stevie's situation. It isn't until Stevie stands up for herself that they listen to what she has to say. It was really bittersweet.

And no, this is not a graphic novel--though the cover makes it look like one. It's still an excellent chapter book!

Super engaging read that many students will identify with. Stevie’s navigating a new club, a brother who gets all the attention, a changing best friend relationship, and coming of age situations in the city. Wyman does a great job navigating all the topics with subtle ideas for students to pick up on navigating similar changes in their lives.

A thoughtful, powerful and well-written story that encapsulates what it feels like to be an awkward 12-year old. Stevie's parents overlook her in favor for her older brother's accomplishments, her best friend is being secretive and making unsafe choices around social media, and she's receiving unwanted comments about her body from friends and strangers. Over the course of the story Stevie gains confidence and finds her voice thanks to her school's newly formed debate club. Authentic characters, timely topics, and a satisfying ending make this a perfect upper middle grade read for fans of realistic fiction.

Being 5"1 without ever having had a growth spurt, I've never had to think about what it would feel like to be tall. So it was very interesting to learn from the perspective of a 12 year girl who is taller than anyone else her age about the problems that she faces. I also appreciated that the world of debating was explored as that was an interesting aspect of the book.

7th grader Stevie is a lot taller than all of her friends. And no, she doesn't want to play basketball like her brother. When she finds something she likes - debate - she is upset that her parents don't seem to care. She lives in NYC and her parents are struggling to stay afloat, which means Stevie doesn't have clothes that fit her properly (even though they spend money on her brother.) The book not only addresses being tall but also unwanted attention from men, especially on the subway. I didn't like that part of the book as much as the school/family/friendship stuff - it seemed added on and didn't flow as well. But 5th and 6th graders will find much to relate to in this book.

It didn't move quick enough for me but that's not to say the content isn't wonderful. It reminds me of the important averageness of the story like Barbara Dee where the topics that are most important aren't often "sensationalized". In this story, Stevie is above average height which means men are paying attention to her and making unnecessary comments that she's older than she is and it's hard to find a way to stand up for herself. That's coupled with her family relegating her feelings to the corner often because they're worried about finances and spend too much time building up the older brother rather than Stevie's confidence.

So she finds a hobby that might work- debate team. But even then she's got competition from a few classmates who think she's overstepping her bounds. And now she's got a love interest, notably shorter than she is, which her friend likes to bring up regularly.

I like that debate team is featured and the family dynamic which isn't often shared. Stevie finding her voice was an important element in the book, it just took a little too much time (for me) to get there.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, and Christina Wyman for the opportunity to read this e-ARC!

School can be hard when you don't know where you fit in and you know that you don't like sports, unlike your parents and what seems like your entire middle school.

Stevie Crumb finds a place to land when she stumbles upon a debate practice one day after school. It's a small group, but she finds new friends and a teacher who believes in her abilities. Stevie has a lot on her mind, though. She's taller than most of the people in her classes and she's receiving unwanted attention from people on the train who think she's older than she really is. Added to all that - her parents keep pressuring her to join a basketball team like her older brother Ryan, because her height would be such an advantage. When she tries to explain about the debate team, they don't really take it seriously. And her best friend is asking her to keep more secrets than she's comfortable with.

This is a great book for middle grades - it tackles topics like the pressures of fitting in, friendship, setting boundaries, communication, the objectification of young women, and finding your voice.

A powerful novel about a tall middle schooler who looks older and gets unwanted attention from men. It also features socio-economic disparities. I really liked it.

This was a beautiful story and all of the topics were handled so well! I loved reading about Stevie's journey into debate club and just generally finding herself.

Slouch introduces us to 7th grader Stevie Crumb. Stevie doesn't want to stand out, but her five foot ten inch height makes her easily noticed and easily mistaken for someone far older. Even though Stevie's parents and older brother play basketball, Stevie could care less about the sport. Stevie also has to deal with adults making comments about her body and creepy weirdos who ride the subway. Stevie gets so tired of these situations, and she overthinks her height whenever she is around her classmates. All of this leads to Stevie resorting to slouching so that maybe she won't appear to be as tall as she really is.
Wyman does a great job of creating believable middle school characters, and readers will applaud Stevie for finally standing up for herself.

What a wonderful middle grade novel! This is a must read for those middle school girls that don't really feel like they fit in physically.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to preview.

Slouch follows Stevie Crumb as she finds her own place in the world. Stevie is tall, the tallest in nearly any room she's in. While it's not a huge issue for Stevie, it seems to be a huge issue for everyone else. What is a huge issue for Stevie is the way grown-ups, especially men, treat her because of her height. Also an issue is how her parents always seem to have money for everything her brother wants or needs but not Stevie, not even when it's to buy new clothes. When Stevie stumbles into the debate team meeting after school, she has no intentions of joining. But what if, Stevie DOES have something to say? This is an incredibly relatable story for any kid going through the awkwardness of growing up, being in between, and finding their own voice.

I recieved a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

Stevie is tall. The tallest girl in 7th grade. Her clothes don't fit. People keep making comments about her body, and whether it's creepy guys on the subway or her best friend saying boys don't like tall girls, it hurts, Her parents are focused on her brother's basketball career and his chance at a college scholarship. When she discovers the debate team, she might actually have a chance to stand out, not just stand up....maybe.

Every kid who has had the experience of not fitting in will find Stevie relatable and connect to this book. It's also nice to see debate get love and attention. And, finally, this is a good introduction to internet safety for kids, without being too preachy about it. Overall, this is an excellent book that would be a great fit for school libraries and classrooms.

I loved this book! I read "Jawbreaker" in a day, so I was very excited for Christina Wyman's newest, and it did not disappoint. It was funny and thought-provoking without being overly didactic. The scenes with creeps on the subways were (unfortunately) realistic and not something I've seen represented in a middle-grade book before. Stevie's character development was well-paced, and I appreciated how the grownups were shown as flawed but also trying their best. I will definitely recommend this to readers at my library!

Christina Wyman once again masterfully explores themes of self-awareness and self-esteem, focusing on the influence of school and family dynamics. I absolutely devoured this book and I cannot wait to see what is next for Wyman! Stevie faces teasing about her height, unwanted attention from adults on the train, and feeling overshadowed by her athletic brother. This story resonates with children, offering them comfort and courage to speak up about their own issues. For adults, it provides a nostalgic glimpse into past feelings and experiences, reassuring them that they weren’t alone. Overall, an engaging and insightful book for readers of all ages.

Once again, following Jawbreaker, Wyman delivers a fantastic telling of self consciousness and self worth and how school and family dynamics play a strong roll in each.

Stevie faces being poked and prodded about her height along with unwanted attention from adults on the train, while also feeling invisible to her family as her athletic brother’s needs gets prioritized over hers.

It’s stories like these that have that real world feel that a kid needs every once in a while to let them know, hey, this is kind of what I’m going through too. Books like these might give a kid the confidence they need to speak up about similar experiences be it at school or at home.

It helps kids step into the real world as they approach their teenage years, years full of changes in more ways than one.

And for adults, it gives us that throwback to times where we possibly felt these ways or had these experiences and maybe didn’t get to express ourselves or find the courage, help, or outlet needed at the time, but shows us we weren’t as alone as we thought.

All in all, another great read for all ages, and I throughly enjoyed it.

My one peeve was honestly with Arianna calling her parents by their first names to Stevie. It felt odd.

This was a book that I didn’t know I needed as a kid, but I absolutely needed this book growing up. I connected so much with Stevie—being taller than everyone, clothing that doesn’t fit, unwanted attention, and the urge to take up less space. I loved this book, and I cannot help but realize how much it would have helped me love myself when I was Stevie’s age. The topics discussed in this book are important and can lead to good conversations between parents/teachers and kids.

Stevie Crumb is struggling to find her voice at home, at school and with her best friend. Her parents are very focused on her brother and she gets bullied for being tall. This book touches on unwanted attention from strangers as well family friends. Wyman treats this very sensitive topic with grace and humor.

This was a cute read for middle grades that focused on teen insecurities and standing up for yourself, even when it’s hard. I thought the author did a good job in making it relatable and keeping reader interest for the age group it’s aimed at -tweens/early teens. Tackling major issues like confidence, parents, friendship, I would absolutely recommend this to girls looking for a good relatable story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the digital ARC of this book.