Read this with my son, who is in 5th grade. While I imagine the target audience is more for girls, he was really engaged and interested and I found it was a great story to build his awareness of things girls and women routinely experience (the male gaze, sexual harassment) and other things that are more universally applicable (child predation, body consciousness, middle school social dynamics, being a good friend, when not to keep a secret, also debate club!).

Slouch, by Christina Wyman is a new must-read story about growing up and growing into yourself, inch by inch. There is a lot of heart in this story that tackles big topics and universal coming-of-age issues in a very tactful manner for Middle grade readers.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audiobook of Slouch by Christina Wyman.

This book follows a 12 year girl who has recently sprouted up and people are starting to pay attention to her. Stevie Crumb has long legs and wears highwater pants due to her sudden growth spurt. Suddenly men are taking notice and commenting on her appearance which makes her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Her parents are struggling financially. She overhears them arguing over money quite often. Stevie's older brother is on the high school basketball team and her parents are obsessed with his basketball season and making sure he has the proper fitting uniform and shoes. When Stevie joins the debate team she asks for clothes that fit her properly but her parents blow her off not seeing how important this is to her.

This book deals with unwanted attention, feeling left out, the dangers of social media, not having enough money, stranger danger, riding public transportation by yourself as a teenager, working parents, big city living and so much more. It felt quite intense at time but it has a good message.

Thank you Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

In Slouched, Stevie Crumb just wants to blend in, but at nearly 5’10” in seventh grade, that’s easier said than done. All anyone seems to notice or talk about is her height. Unexpectedly, Stevie finds herself on the debate team, where she learns valuable lessons about setting boundaries, asking for help, and ultimately discovering that standing up—both literally and figuratively—might not be so bad after all.

One of the standout aspects of Slouched is how it addresses timely, relevant themes that today’s youth can relate to, such as self-acceptance, confidence, and dealing with unwanted attention. These themes open up important topics for discussion between young readers and adults. The inclusion of the debate team is a refreshing feature, highlighting an extracurricular activity that isn’t often explored in middle-grade books.

This book is an excellent fit for tweens, especially those who’ve faced challenges like bullying or struggling to fit in. Recommended for readers in sixth grade and up, it’s a great pick for fans of Raina Telgemeier, Kelly Yang, and Gordon Korman.

I really enjoyed this book! It's so wonderful seeing tough topics touched on in middle-grade books. A book about friendship, speaking up for yourself, and speaking up against others. Excited for this one to hit the shelf.

I am super annoyed by middle-grade books written with an agenda. Just tell a story and let the nuance float through! Kids are smart and empathetic. Give them some credit. I only got through about a quarter of the book before giving up. Normally, I stick with books through to the end--especially if the publisher is trusting me with an advanced copy, but I rather not wallow through the ruminations of a preteen who thinks the world is against her, and she is powerless to improve her situation. Somebody tell me Stevie's big coming-of-age moment is dropping the victim story and learning to live with confidence and joy. I want to read about her enforcing appropriate boundaries and believing in growth and change rather than blaming the evil misogynistic world for her problems. If this big change truly happens in the book, maybe it's worth trudging through the, "woe is me" first chapters to experience the lovely transformation with her.