Former elementary school teacher Nicole D. Collier's debut book, Just Right Jillian, offers an inspiring and inviting tale for middle-grade readers about an African American girl named Jillian.
Fifth-grader Jillian is shy, uncertain and, a year later, still grieving the loss of her grandmother. Jillian often lets her opinions, ideas and thoughts go unheard because she is afraid of standing out. Then, she loses a class competition because she doesn't speak up. When a bully proclaims Jillian will never be a winner, Jillian promises herself and Grammy that she will find her voice and break out of her shell--just like the chicks her class is currently incubating. Jillian, with less than a month to prepare, works hard to compete in the school-wide Mind Bender competition with the goal of beating Rashida, her "Sworn Enemy" and "Foe."
Just Right Jillian is broken up into approachably short chapters, with accessible language for children on the younger end of the middle-grade spectrum. It covers topics such as grief, friendship, speaking up, shyness and not judging anyone without getting to know them first, making it a perfect book for any sensitive, creative, insecure child who might also fear being visible. Collier's many funny metaphors about chicks and their hatching process should keep readers laughing as it connects them to Jillian and her attempts to break out of her own shell. Just Right Jillian shows children how to stand out and show up for themselves. --Natasha Harris, freelance reviewer