Maybe He Just Likes You

This book opens the door to discussions for middle grade students so they can talk about unwanted behavior and feel comfortable doing so.

Title:  Maybe He Just Likes You

Author: Barbara Dee

Publisher:  Aladdin

ISBN:  9781534432376

Review:

Mila has started the 7^th grade. She is in band and pretty good with a trumpet. Her best friends, Omi, Zara and Max, are there navigating through the new year adapting to new experiences and school activities. But, Mila is not without responsibilities. At home her mom works and her dad has left. Her after school responsibilities are her dog and her little sister. Those stresses are mild compared to the new stress of some boys on the basketball team,  at school who are doing things that make her uncomfortable. There are plenty of annoyances and inappropriate touching that have her concerned. As a result, her moods have changed and she doesn’t feel as though she can ask her friends for help, especially Zara who thinks they are teasing her because they like her.

The unwanted attention is starting to trickle into the music classroom and others are starting to notice. Her friend Max offers to help since she helped him the year before when he was being bullyed and Omi is quietly watching and advises her to never be alone. At home, mom loses her job and her worry with these life changes are making her sick. With the help of a new friend in Samira, she begins to gain confidence and the will to fight back from a karate class she attended while her mom and sister took other exercise classes. With this new confidence and another classmate sharing her bad experiences from the same set of boys, is it time for Mila to talk to a teacher and ask for help or should she take on the bad boys all by herself?

The subject matter in this book is sensitive. These experiences are not uncommon and helping read about them will make it easier for young readers to feel confident in speaking with friends, family or teachers to ask for help and guidance. The story shared and the characters represented can help readers recognize the signs of bullying, verbal abuse and sexual harassment. Parents and teachers can use this as tool to discuss ideas and concerns students may have or perhaps things they’ve seen and how they can get help to stop the unwanted behavior.

Courtesy of Media Masters Publicity