Unstuck
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, Hardcover
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1534489868
Also available in audio editions
2024
Ages 9-13, Grades 4-8
About the Book:
Lyla is thrilled when her seventh-grade English language arts class begins a daily creative writing project. For the past year, she’s been writing a brilliant fantasy novel in her head, and here’s her chance to get it on paper! The plot to Lyla’s novel is super complicated, with battle scenes and witches and a mysterious one-toed-beast, but at its core, it’s about an overlooked girl who has to rescue her beautiful, highly accomplished older sister.
But writing a fantasy novel turns out to be harder than simply imagining one, and pretty soon Lyla finds herself stuck, experiencing a panic she realizes is writer’s block. Part of the problem is that she’s trying to impress certain people—like Rania, her best friend who’s pulling away, and Ms. Bowman, the coolest teacher at school. Plus, there’s the pressure of meeting the deadline for the town writing contest. A few years ago, Lyla’s superstar teen sister Dahlia came in second, and this time, Lyla is determined to win first prize.
Finally, Lyla confides about her writing problems to Dahlia, who is dealing with her own academic stress as she applies to college. That’s when she learns Dahlia’s secret, which is causing a very different type of writer’s block. Can Lyla rescue a surprisingly vulnerable big sister, both on the page and in real life?
Honors and Lists:
- A Junior Library Guild selection
- Colby Sharp’s Awesome 2024 Books
- Reading Middle Grade: Realistic Fiction Books for 5th Graders
- Recommended at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival 2024 “Books as Lifesavers in an Anxious World: Fostering Children’s Social-Emotional Wellness with the Right Book at the Right Time”
Press:
- Publishers Weekly: Barbara Dee on How She Got Her Writing ‘Unstuck’
- Mr. Schu Reads: Interview with Barbara Dee
- Writer’s Digest: Writers Block is a Normal Part of the Writing Process
- Story Monsters Ink: One to Read: Barbara Dee
- Nerdy Book Club: Cover Reveal for Unstuck
- Reading Middle Grade: Barbara Dee on Getting Unstuck and Writing Realistic Fiction
- SLJ.com’s Teen Librarian Toolbox: Getting Kids Unstuck as Writers
- Imagination Soup: Author Interview with Barbara Dee on Her Reasons for Writing
- YA Books Central: Interview with Barbara Dee
- Growing Readers (podcast): Breaking Through Writer’s Block: A Journey with Barbara Dee into ‘Unstuck’
- Middle Grade Matters (podcast): Barbara Dee on Writer’s Block and Writing for Upper Middle Grade Readers
- The DTALKS Podcast: Unstuck (ft. Barbara Dee)
- Reading with Your Kids (podcast): The Truth About Middle School Friendships No One Will Talk About
Reviews:
“Short dynamic chapters and Lyla’s distinctive and energetic voice will keep readers flipping the pages. Just as she has in My Life in the Fish Tank and other titles, Dee showcases the power of compassion and understanding during the crucial middle school years of growth and change. Readers see how anxiety starts, how it grows—and how it can be managed. The tips and tricks here about writing and stress will definitely translate to real life. A top choice for middle school libraries and a great handsell for young adults with younger siblings.” —★ School Library Journal, Starred Review
“With wonderfully rich characterization and impeccable pacing, the author interweaves middle school friend and family dramas with struggles familiar to any writer. … A heartfelt exploration of a young writer’s struggles and successes, with practical advice included.” —Kirkus Reviews
“With well-established insight into the interior lives of middle schoolers, Dee nails some of the tiny painful intricacies of hesitant new friendships and feeling boxed in by other people’s expectations. Lyla’s passion and frustrations will be relatable to any aspiring young writer.” —Booklist
“Dee deftly depicts the complex and sometimes turbulent writing process, and the self-doubt that can come with it.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“I’m a Barbara Dee superfan. I love every book she writes. Thank goodness she’s so prolific and we get so many wonderful stories from her … As always from Dee, [UNSTUCK is] a thoughtful, compassionate exploration of the changing interior and exterior landscapes of middle school life.” — SLJ.com’s Teen Librarian Toolbox
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, Hardcover
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1534489868
Also available in audio editions
2024
Ages 9-13, Grades 4-8