WORLDWIDE CRUSH

A seventh grader fixates on a Bieber-esque heartthrob in this middle-grade novel.

Millicent “Millie” Jackson loves 15-year-old Rory Calhoun with all her 12-year-old heart. So what if she’s never met him and millions of others feel the same way? Rory’s beautiful honey-blond hair, freckles, and golden voice have captivated Millie, and when Rory announces he’s going on tour, Millie knows she has a shot at finding love. When she’s not navigating the halls of Susan B. Anthony Middle School near Minneapolis and enduring dinners with her family—including sassy Grandma Cheryl and precocious 5-year-old brother Billy—Millie pens earnest letters to him, her very own “worldwide crush,” and fixates on Bodega Bay, California, Rory’s sleepy beach hometown. When Millie’s mother is able to procure concert tickets, the show is canceled at the last minute due to a family emergency involving Rory’s beloved mother, much to the heartbreak of Millie and Rory’s legions of fans. Will Millie ever cross paths with Rory Calhoun? Nilsen was inspired to write the novel based on her own childhood crushes—Shaun Cassidy, Davy Jones, and the Bee Gees—and after witnessing the more recent pop-star phenomenon of Justin Bieber. The author’s prose style is perfect for middle-grade readers—fast-paced and natural, with the accuracy of the high highs and low lows that come with the emotions of a seventh grader experiencing her very first crush. Millie’s narrative voice is as bubbly and sweet as Rory Calhoun’s song lyrics. She’s a typical tween girl who’s embarrassed by her family but loves them anyway and is consumed by a distant love that feels as real as the romantic relationships she’ll eventually have as an adult. Even Rory, who makes an appearance later in the book, feels like a real teenager, albeit one who’s experiencing global stardom.

A delightful, nostalgic tribute to innocent fandom.