Precocia: The Sixth Circle of Heck

A convincing school story about siblings Evan and Jessie, who are a year apart but are in the same class because Jessie skipped a grade. The narrative focus alternates between Jessie and Evan, who have very different ways of looking at the world (Jessie is analytical and rigid, while Evan is more empathetic and adaptable). Readers will appreciate seeing typical fourth-grade problems, such as a crush, through the lens of markedly dissimilar personalities. Jacqueline Davies writes about kids’ feelings with compassion and understanding. Jessie’s difficulty fitting in is especially poignant: “It was hard work being around other people, particularly kids her own age. . . . She had to watch their faces closely and listen hard to the way they talked. . . . It was like trying to solve a math problem that never ended.” Fans of the previous Lemonade War books will be pleased to revisit the characters, but this title also stands alone.