On Guard!

Grace is trying to find her footing in 7th grade, but between a best friend break up and her rocky relationship with her mom, it isn't easy. Is the middle school fencing club the answer to finding her people...and maybe even herself? On guard? Ready? Fence! Grace isn’t ready for a new school year. Her best friend Ava dropped her at the end of last year, the dust is still settling from her parents’ messy divorce, and things are not going well between Grace and her mom. Mothers and daughters are always so close in movies. But that’s never been Grace and her mom. So now Grace has no friends, no hobbies (band was Ava's thing), and home feels even more complicated than school. There's not a single place Grace can just relax. Until, she sees the school's fencing club practicing. They look so sure of themselves. So steady. It may not solve everything…but could this be a place Grace can finally belong and be herself? “A great story about a kid finding her footing (and a cool new sport!) despite the shifting sands of divorce.” –Lucy Knisley, New York Times Bestselling creator of Stepping Stones

Who might be interested in reading?

• Young readers navigating middle school challenges
• Fans of coming-of-age stories
• Readers interested in sports, especially fencing
• Those who enjoy stories about friendship and family dynamics