In the Spotlight

Gr 4–7—In this second installment of the series, the anxious and studious Olivia gets help from her best friend, Piper, who is struggling to make her own mark in a family of standouts. Olivia's beloved Battle of the Books competition is threatened by lack of interest, so Piper puts her video-making skills to work and creates a YouTube sensation to drum up participants. Readers are privy to back-and-forth notes, texts, emails, blog posts, memos from the principal, and more, resulting in an up-close look at this friendship. Most entries are printed in a normal font, while other notes, posters, etc., look handwritten, keeping the pace quick and the content visually interesting. The plot is linear, and enough background is provided so tweens do not miss anything by reading the novels in this series out of order. Olivia and Piper are sweet and even in their most private correspondence seem well-behaved, making this a safe pick for younger readers. The girls document their concerns and help each other work through issues such as anxiety, school woes, and crushes, which makes the characters relatable to those dealing with similar problems. Bonus points go to the author for including plentiful references to other middle grade titles as part of the Battle of the Books story line.