Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
Categories
Children’s, Teenage & Educational
Weblink
BarbaraDeeBooks.com

MAYBE HE JUST LIKES YOU

Barbara Dee

A powerful and much-needed novel about sexual harassment in middle school.

For seventh grader Mila, it starts with an unwanted hug on the school blacktop.

The next day, it's another hug. A smirk. Comments. It all feels.weird. According to her friend Zara, Mila is being immature, overreacting. Doesn't she know what flirting looks like?

But it keeps happening, despite Mila's protests. On the bus, in the halls. Even during band practice - the one time Mila could always escape to her "blue-sky" feeling. It seems like the boys are EVERYWHERE. And it doesn't feel like flirting - so what is it?

Mila starts to gain confidence when she enrolls in karate class. But her friends still don't understand why Mila is making such a big deal about the boys' attention. When Mila is finally pushed too far, she realizes she can't battle this on her own - and finds help in some unexpected places.

Barbara Dee is the author of Halfway Normal (JLG selection, YALSA Booklist "Surviving Middle School," starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal), Star-Crossed (2017 Goodreads Choice Award Finalist, 2017 Chicago Public Library Best of the Best List, King County Public Library Best of 2017, 2018 ALA Rainbow List nominee), and six other middle grade novels.

Available products
Book Published 2019-10-01 by Aladdin / Simon & Schuster
Book Published 2019-10-01 by Aladdin / Simon & Schuster

Comments

This would be an excellent choice to inspire conversations about the prevalence and scope of what's considered sexual harassment, as well as help young readers identify what harassment could look like in their peers.

Mila's journey will resonate with many readers, exploring a formative and common experience of early adolescence that has too often been ignored. Important and empowering.

An incredibly important book...I wish I'd had this when I was a kid. Please hand this to young readers of ALL genders.

Maybe He Just Likes You is the perfect way to jumpstart dialogue between boy and girl readers about respect and boundaries. This book is so good. So needed! I loved it!

MAYBE HE JUST LIKES YOU is on this list of the best middle grade books of 2019 Read more...

In Maybe He Just Likes You, Barbara Dee sensitively breaks down the nuances of a situation all too common in our culture--a girl not only being harassed, but not being listened to as she tries to ask for help. This well-crafted story validates Mila's anger, confusion, and fear, but also illuminates a pathway towards speaking up and speaking out. A vital read for both girls and boys.

And finally -- I know you all have heard me rave about this one before -- but Barbara Dee's Maybe He Just Likes You is going to be AMAZING!

Lovely interview from Barbara Dee, which was featured on YA Books Central, a popular blog with over 38,000 Twitter followers. In the interview, she talks about her inspiration for the novel, the power of the title, and what's coming next! Read more...

An important read with great potential for classroom use.

Maybe He Just Liks You is an important, timeless story with funny, believable characters. Mila's situation is one that many readers will connect with. This book is sure to spark productive conversations.

MAYBE HE JUST LIKES YOU is "the most unforgettable middle grade novel of 2019.": You need to read this book. The world needs you to read this book. The world needs this book to be available to all of our students so that we can learn how to talk about these things that are hard. Read more...

MAYBE HE JUST LIKES YOU was named runner-up for Anderson's Mock Newbery List. Read more...

Hebrew: Simson ; Korean: Danielstone ; Portuguese (Brazil): Globo ; Turkey: Dogan Kitap

Mila is a finely-drawn, sympathetic character dealing with a problem all too common in middle school. Readers will be cheering when she takes control! An important topic addressed in an age-appropriate way.

Post by the author, in which she discusses her reasons for writing the book, as well as the interviews she conducted for it. Read more...

This is a book that all middle school-aged students should read and discuss. ... This title should be on suggested reading lists in order to help young women know that they can take charge of their lives. The book is equally important for boys so that they might understand their own feelings and the feelings of those who might be victims of their adolescent humor. This title belongs in the school library as well as the classroom library. It is perfect for book clubs in middle school, serving as an excellent literary tool as well as a tool for discussion of how we should treat one another.

Do not be afraid to put this book in the hands of every reader regardless of age or gender. With Maybe He Just Likes You, Barbara Dee has created a book that will define this generation, much like Judy Blume defined mine

[A] timely, sensitively wrought novel...Easily grasped scenarios and short chapters help make this timely #MeToo story accessible to a wide audience.

This timely exploration of a...common experience should begin some useful conversations.

In this masterful, relatable and wholly unique story, Dee shows how one girl named Mila finds empowerment, strength, and courage within. I loved this book.