Although the author of Flipped is Caucasian, the themes addressed are very relevant to the middle school audience. This book tells the tale of Juli and Bryce, who meet at a young age when Bryce moves in across the street from Juli. She immediately develops a crush on him, but Bryce does not share these feelings. In fact, he thinks she is strange and wants nothing to do with her. Then one day, Juli catches Bryce doing something that really hurts her feelings and her feelings towards him change. Bryce’s feelings change too, but unfortunately Juli wants nothing to do with him. This novel alternates chapters between Mark and Juli’s voices, following the two from when they meet at 7, through middle school.
This book would probably be best for 6th or 7th grade and could be taught in class or read as an independent novel. One advantage of reading it in class is it was made into a movie, which could lead to compare/contrast writing topics and discussions. The main reason I recommend this book is because it addresses feeling like an outcast. It also teaches the important of perspective and not judging people we don’t entirely understand.
love this book!
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