Berry Parker Doesn’t Catch Crushes
With her mom’s new boyfriend, her best friend’s new crush, and her dad’s interest in her gym teacher, Berry vows to never catch a crush—and to show everyone how much better things be without theirs—in this stand-alone contemporary middle grade from Tanita S. Davis, author of The Science of Friendship and Partly Cloudy.
Every year, Berry’s mom, Ivy, visits for a three-week “August Invasion.” And every summer Berry hopes will be the one when Ivy will stay—forever.
Which is why Ivy’s surprise return visit is amazing—until Berry realizes her mom didn’t come for her. Ivy’s back to pack the last of her things, and she’s brought her new “friend,” Mr. Cole to help. When Berry discovers that Mr. Cole is taking a job in England, she’s convinced that Ivy wants to move all the way across the ocean with him, to where an August Invasion can’t reach. Even at school, messy feelings are ruining everything. Berry’s best friend, Lia, rearranges her schedule to have classes with her crush, leaving Berry alone all day. Even Berry’s normally boring dad is making excuses to talk to her gym teacher.
All these crushes are crushing the life out of Berry. Weren’t things better before these extra people came along? Why do things have to change?
From The Horn Book:
“Through it all, this is a sensitive look at a young Black girl’s interior life. This novel provides a healthy and realistic overview of family and friendship in middle school, highlighting that while navigating change is difficult, staying true to oneself can provide a valuable map.”
From School Library Journal:
“Davis offers a realistic, sensitive portrayal of the emotional ups and downs of this age group, especially for children with divorced parents. The author also provides a healthy overview of how it’s challenging, and some days feel just awful; but in the end, a change of perspective may be healing. VERDICT A solid purchase, this story will resonate with middle schoolers who have endured similar shifting family structures.”
From Booklist: “Davis (The Science of Friendship, 2024) always incorporates meaningful explorations of friendship in her novels, and here tween readers will relate to Berry and her friends as they find their footing in middle school and experience their first romantic feelings. A first purchase for middle-grade library collections.”
A CBC’s Best Children’s Book of the Year book in the 9-12 – Fiction – Family/School/Community category.
From Publishers’ Weekly: “…a hopeful yet bittersweet story about confronting change while remaining true to oneself.”
From Kirkus: “An introspective, insightful look at the uncomfortable changes of early adolescence.”