JUST ROLL WITH IT

Maggie enters middle school and soon realizes that the 20-sided die she rolls to make decisions doesn’t always work.

Maggie Sankhar is both excited and nervous to be starting sixth grade. On the one hand, she quickly makes a new friend, Clara, who encourages her to join the RPG club—but on the other hand, she encounters bullies, and mastering all the new routines can feel intimidating. Most of all, Maggie often holds herself back because she fears things will go awry if the number on the die isn’t favorable. She also internalizes pressure to live up to her older sisters’ seemingly unattainable achievements, even as her caring family recognizes that her struggles go beyond the ordinary and that she may benefit from therapy. Maggie is reluctant, but her therapist is reassuring and supportive. Maggie’s character is well developed, and her arc shows what living with mental illness can look like day to day. The depiction of OCD is thoughtful, and the lively, expressive illustrations show Maggie’s stress and worry—as well as many moments of fun with her new friends. This is a thoughtful and engaging account of a preteen navigating mental illness in a world that leaves her constantly doubting herself. Maggie and her family read as South Asian; brown-skinned Clara has two moms, one of Maggie’s older sisters has a girlfriend, and the girls’ school is multiethnic.

An accessible, compassionate story of growth and learning.