From the publisher, ““Who do you want to be?” asks Mr. Van Deusen. “And not when you grow up. Right here, right now.” 

Shine on! might be the catchphrase of twelve-year-old Piper’s hero—astronaut, astronomer, and television host Nellie Dumont Frisse—but Piper knows the truth: some people are born to shine, and she’s just not one of them. That fact has never been clearer than now, since her dad’s new job has landed them both at Chumley Prep, a posh private school where everyone seems to be the best at something and where Piper definitely doesn’t fit in. 

Bursting with humor, heart, science, possibilities, and big questions, Shine! is a story about finding your place in the universe—a story about figuring out who you are and who you want to be.

This quick read is made for middle schoolers.  Piper’s father is the new choir director at an elite school so Piper has to leave her friends and start over at this school full of snobby kids.  But not all the students are haughty.  She quickly finds a group of supportive friends, each with their own interests.  Her interest is science and her specialty is kindness.  Piper is a good all-around kid who enjoys science. While she may not have the musical abilities of her parents, her kindness shines through.  Nice read.

eGalley review                                                                Publication date 11.5.19