J.R. SILVER WRITES HER WORLD

An 11-year-old girl explores the surprising effects of her writing.

Living with protective parents in New York City, presumably White J.R. has been in the same class as her best friend, Violet, since kindergarten, but now their relationship is shifting. Sri Lankan American Violet’s busy texting on her new cellphone and hanging out with a more popular girl. Meanwhile, J.R.’s parents won’t allow her to have a cellphone or walk home from school without an adult like most other sixth graders, exacerbating her isolation. When Ms. Kline, their enigmatic new teacher, gives students the assignment to create stories based on magazine covers, aspiring author J.R. writes about walking home on her own. After school the next day, J.R.’s mom isn’t there to meet her, and she walks home with classmates. After several more of her magazine-inspired stories come true, she confronts Ms. Kline, who confirms that the magic is real—but warns her that it has limits. While J.R. longs to use her powers to write Violet back into her life, she finally realizes she must find her own voice. J.R. emerges sympathetically as a quiet, thoughtful, sensitive, somewhat nerdy girl whose world of books and museums is reinforced by textual references to popular middle-grade literature, especially her touchstone, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Final art not seen.

An intriguing, credible tale of friendship and coming-of-age.