Rachel Takes the Lead

Gr 3-6–The second installment of the “Spyglass Sisterhood” series features Rachel Levin-Lopez, a seventh grader who lives with her two mothers, whom she calls Mom and Mami. Rachel thinks of herself as a shy person and struggles with finding her voice. Told in first person, this novel centers Rachel and her closest friends Ellie, Alyssa, and Kiara, who are all able to see through a spyglass that is located in Ellie’s old Victorian house’s turret. The spyglass allows the diverse group of girls, who call themselves The Sisterhood, to see the hopes, aspirations, and worries of themselves and others. In this entry, Rachel is nominated to run for class representative, and she’s campaigning against the most popular girl in seventh grade. Along the way, Rachel finds a dog, whom she comes to love, but knows that she must attempt to find its original owner. A running theme throughout is the impact of lying and lies of omission. Beautifully honest and realistic, despite the spyglass, this book delivers big on many emotions and typical middle school life.