Noah Frye gets crushed

Title:

Author:

Summary:

In this cute and queer contemporary middle grade comedy about friendship, first crushes, and first kisses, twelve-year-old Noah Frye comes up with a foolproof plan to teach herself how to have a crush on a boy to fit in better with her friends--only to discover she's been looking in the wrong place, and her crush was right beside her all along... Noah Frye just had the Best Summer Ever. Not only did she have an epic time at science camp, but her new camp friend Jessa is going to Noah's school in the fall. Noah can't wait to introduce Jessa to her best friends Zoey and Luna when classes start. But when the friend group is reunited after their summer apart, something seems to have changed: Zoey and Luna have discovered boys, and now it's all they want to obsess over. Suddenly, it feels like Noah is the odd one out in their friend group, especially since Noah hasn't ever even considered boys in that way. When Noah finds herself caught in a lie about having a boy crush of her own, she decides she'll do anything to fit in with her friends again--even if that means using the scientific method. Noah's crush experiment is simple: find a boy, fake a crush until it turns real, and get her friends back. But that might be easier said than done, especially when Noah can't stop thinking about Jessa. What ensues is a hilarious and heartwarming turn of events in this queer contemporary middle grade story about friendship, first crushes, and self-discovery.

Audience:

Ages 8-12.

Grades 5 - 8.

General Note:

"Author of Hazel Hill Is Gonna Win This One"--Dust jacket.

Edition:

First edition.

Contents:

Things I missed about home -- Best frozen yogurt accompaniments -- The best smells in an animal shelter -- Best genres of online videos -- Best-case scenarios: first day of school -- Things I hate -- Things that make me feel better -- People responsible for the world's atrocities -- Scariest possible things -- Uncool sleepover activities -- Things I don't like -- My best Halloween costumes, ranked. -- Best flirting methods* -- Worst flirting methods* -- Things you aren't allowed to say to theater people (or at least Zoey) -- What makes Canadian Thanksgiving different from American Thanksgiving -- Possible post-Thanksgiving activities -- Reasons your sister might suddenly start being nice to you -- World's most awkward lunches -- Things I wish I cared more about -- Optimal sleepover activities -- Reasons to have friends -- Bad omens -- Worst places to cry -- Things I can do now -- Experiments I would rather do today -- Best possible outcomes of my experiment -- Halloween misconceptions -- Things I'm not good at -- Things that feel much better than expected -- Things that are less scary than expected.

Physical Description:

260 pages ; 22 cm

Genre:

Queer fiction.

School fiction.

Romance fiction.

Subject Term:

Middle schools -- Juvenile fiction.

Friendship -- Juvenile fiction.

Sexual minorities -- Juvenile fiction.

Love -- Juvenile fiction.

Publisher:

Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers,

Publication Date:

2024

ISBN:

9780063285194

Publication Information:

New York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2024]

Call Number:

M HORNE

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003744201	New Middle Fiction	HORNE	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Noah Frye just had the Best Summer Ever. Not only did she have an epic time at science camp, but her new camp friend Jessa is going to Noah's school in the fall. Noah can't wait to introduce Jessa to her best friends Zoey and Luna when classes start. But when the friend group is reunited after their summer apart, something seems to have changed: Zoey and Luna have discovered boys, and now it's all they want to obsess over.

Suddenly, it feels like Noah is the odd one out in their friend group, especially since Noah hasn't ever even considered boys in that way. When Noah finds herself caught in a lie about having a boy crush of her own, she decides she'll do anything to fit in with her friends again--even if that means using the scientific method. Noah's crush experiment is simple: find a boy, fake a crush until it turns real, and get her friends back. But that might be easier said than done, especially when Noah can't stop thinking about Jessa. What ensues is a hilarious and heartwarming turn of events in this queer contemporary middle grade story about friendship, first crushes, and self-discovery.

Reviews (1)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4--7--Seventh grader Noah had an epic time at summer camp. Even better, her camp friend, Jessa, will attend Noah's school in the fall. Noah is also eager to reunite with her BFFs Zoey and Luna. However, something feels off about their dynamic. Suddenly Zoey and Luna are obsessed with discussing their crushes. Noah has never had romantic feelings for any boy, but she's desperate not to feel left out. She invents a crush of her own, employing a scientifically informed process to locate a suitable target. She settles on her classmate Archie, who is nice but doesn't make Noah light up the way Jessa does. After a series of embarrassing yet amusing mishaps, Noah eventually concludes what everyone else suspected all along: Jessa is the one for her. Noah is a wry narrator who shows emotional growth as the story progresses. The narrative has a light, breezy tone reminiscent of Lauren Myracle's "IM" series. In particular, the dialogue rings true to the typical middle schooler. Gratifyingly, Noah is surrounded by supportive people who give her the time and space she needs to discover her true self. Most characters cue white; Zoey's surname hints at East Asian heritage. VERDICT A fun and affirming coming-out story with relatable characters. Recommended.--Hannah Grasse