In the Role of Brie Hutchens... | TheBookSeekers

In the Role of Brie Hutchens...


School year: Year 6, Year 7, Year 8

No. of pages 272

Published: 2020

Great for age 7-13 years

Add this book to your 'I want to read' list!

By clicking here you can add this book to your favourites list. If it is in your School Library it will show up on your account page in colour and you'll be able to download it from there. If it isn't in your school library it will still show up but in grey - that will tell us that maybe it is a book we should add to your school library, and will also remind you to read it if you find it somewhere else!

Introducing Brie Hutchens: soap opera super fan, aspiring actor, and so-so student at her small Catholic school. Brie has big plans for eighth grade. She's going to be the star of the school play and convince her parents to let her go to the performing arts high school. But when Brie's mom walks in on her accidentally looking at some possibly inappropriate photos of her favorite actress, Brie panics and blurts out that she's been chosen to crown the Mary statue during her school's May Crowning ceremony. Brie's mom is distracted with pride--but Brie's in big trouble: she has not been chosen. No one has, yet. Worse, Brie has almost no chance to get the job, which always goes to a top student.

Desperate to make her lie become truth, Brie turns to Kennedy, the girl everyone expects to crown Mary. But sometimes just looking at Kennedy gives Brie butterflies. Juggling her confusing feelings with the rapidly approaching May Crowning, not to mention her hilarious non-star turn in the school play, Brie navigates truth and lies, expectations and identity, and how to--finally--make her mother really see her as she is.

 

 

This book is aimed at children at US 5th grade+.

This book has been graded for interest at 10-13 years.

There are 272 pages in this book. This book was published in 2020 by Algonquin Books (division of Workman) .

Nicole Melleby is a born-and-bred Jersey girl with a passion for storytelling. She studied creative writing at Fairleigh Dickinson University and currently teaches creative writing and literature courses with a handful of local universities. When she's not writing, she can be found browsing the shelves at her local comic shop or watching soap operas with a cup of tea.

 

"A nuanced exploration of how to reconcile faith and identity. Melleby's clear, honest voice expertly captures the frustration, awkwardness, and fear of being vulnerable--as well as the potential rewards. This funny, tender, and heart-wrenching story will have readers calling for an encore."

 

--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

 

 

"The story honestly conveys Brie's confusion about her sexuality, while at the same time, moves plotlines to the next level by also delving into the way the family's Catholicism affects events. Younger teens questioning their sexuality--or faith--will find much to ponder here."

 

--Booklist

 

 

"Chapter openings describing events from soap operas--the one strong interest she shares with her mom--underscore how dramatic the events feel to Brie, as well as the fact that, though she's realized something new about herself, she's still the same person."

 

--The Horn Book

 

 

"Her struggles and those of her family seem authentic, their interactions realistic, and Brie's desire to be really seen and loved for who she is will ring true with many middle school readers."

 

--School Library Journal