Things That Shimmer

Gr 5 Up–It’s the spring of 1973, and seventh grader Melanie has long dreamed of being one of the Shimmers, the popular kids at school. Her childhood best friend, Vicky, seems to have little problem fitting in with the group, but Melanie doesn’t believe she is confident enough; her mother’s PTSD from “the accident” contributes to that feeling. Then, Dorit Shoshani moves to town from Israel and Melanie finds a friend she can confide in. Dorit and Melanie share family traumas that bond them. But when eighth grade starts and Melanie becomes friendly with one of the Shimmers who is her partner in cooking class, her desire to become popular threatens her friendships with Dorit and Vicky. Lakritz’s first middle grade novel has a well-developed protagonist whose struggles with fitting in and finding her voice transcend decades. At times, the novel feels like it is spread too thin, trying to address the war in Israel, Watergate, the gas crisis, and a family dealing with PTSD.