BRIGHT

To avoid failing eighth grade, Marianne Blume joins the school’s trivia competition team to earn extra credit. Who knew she had to actually try to win, too?

Whenever Mr. Garcia introduces a new math concept Marianne’s sure she won’t understand, her mind goes into “drift” mode, and now she is struggling and in danger of repeating the grade. On a whim, Marianne joins Quiz Quest, the trivia team Mr. Garcia runs, in order to earn extra credit—but she’s shocked to learn that she not only has to participate, but sincerely help her team. In this pitch-perfect narrative that never moralizes, Marianne represents an often overlooked type of character in middle-grade fiction: She’s a student who’s slipped under most radars, always struggling academically but usually able to scrape by. As Marianne studies intensively with her diverse team members, she begins to understand various ways people learn and recognize her own strengths in emotional intelligence and team building. Quiz Quest also makes her confront her usual coping strategy—acting “stupid,” something she starts to recognize with discomfort that’s often equated with more girly behavior—as deflection. She considers whether she truly embodies this persona, especially when bullies mock her intelligence. Shifting friendships and her older sister’s budding same-sex relationship round out Marianne’s life-changing experiences that conclude with an imperfect yet uplifting end to the school year. Marianne, who comes from an interfaith (Christian and Jewish) family, reads as White.

A winner, indeed, especially for readers who question their own worth.