Dear Student

Elly Swartz gives her protagonist Autumn a clever premise — she's secretly writing her school's advice column while struggling with the very anxieties her readers are writing in about. That irony is well-used, and the novel's treatment of social anxiety is authentic enough that kids who live with it will recognize themselves on the page. Autumn's parallel challenges — a best friend who left, a father far away, two new friends pulling in opposite directions — give the story real emotional weight. The Kirkus star and the Pennsylvania State Book Award speak to how well it landed with its audience. The caveat is that the community conflict subplot can feel a bit thin, and genre readers will see some beats coming. Still, it's a courage-affirming middle-grade novel with a fresh setup and a heart in the right place.