Thursday

A parent might reach for this book when their teen is navigating a complex friendship with someone who is struggling emotionally and wants to explore themes of empathy and the limits of helping. The story centers on fifteen-year-old Bee and her determined efforts to support her new friend, Thursday, a boy who is deeply convinced he is a changeling, a fairy child swapped at birth. It follows Bee’s compassionate, and sometimes misguided, attempts to prove his theory and find him a place to belong. This thoughtful book is ideal for mature teens (14 and up) ready for a psychologically nuanced story. It opens conversations about mental health, the meaning of true loyalty, and the difficult realization that you cannot always “fix” another person’s problems. While set in the 1970s, its emotional core about friendship and mental wellbeing is timeless.