MAYBE HE JUST LIKES YOU

u003cbu003eBarbara Dee explores the subject of #MeToo for the middle grade audience in this heart-wrenching—and ultimately uplifting—novel about experiencing harassment and unwanted attention from classmates. u003c/bu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003eFor seventh-grader Mila, it starts with some boys giving her an unwanted hug on the school blacktop. A few days later, at recess, one of the boys (and fellow trumpet player) Callum tells Mila it’s his birthday, and asks her for a “birthday hug.” He’s just being friendly, isn’t he? And how can she say no? But Callum’s hug lasts a few seconds too long, and feels…weird. According to her friend, Zara, Mila is being immature and overreacting. Doesn’t she know what flirting looks like?u003cbru003e u003cbru003eBut the boys don’t leave Mila alone. On the bus. In the halls. During band practice—the one place Mila could always escape.u003cbru003e u003cbru003eIt doesn’t feel like flirting—so what is it? Thanks to a chance meeting, Mila begins to find solace in a new place: karate class. Slowly, with the help of a fellow classmate, Mila learns how to stand her ground and how to respect others—and herself.u003cbru003e u003cbru003eFrom the author ofu003ciu003e Everything I Know About Youu003c/iu003e, u003ciu003eHalfway Normalu003c/iu003e, and u003ciu003eStar-Crossed u003c/iu003ecomes this timely story of a middle school girl standing up and finding her voice.”