All Together Now

Reach for this book when your middle-schooler feels like the 'odd one out' in their own friend group or is struggling with the shift as peers begin to date. This graphic novel follows Bina, a talented musician whose excitement about her new band is dampened when two of her bandmates start a relationship, leaving her feeling like a third wheel. It beautifully captures the awkwardness of changing social dynamics and the fear of losing a creative partnership to romance. Parents will appreciate how it validates the frustration of being left behind while encouraging children to find their own rhythm and maintain their individual identity. It is a secular, realistic, and highly relatable look at early adolescence for ages 8 to 12.