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Things That Shimmer
In the spring of 1973, Melanie Adler desperately wants to be accepted by the Shimmers, the popular kids in her class. But the secret of her mother's PTSD stands in the way. As hard as she tries, Melanie can't act as effortlessly confident and fun as the Shimmers. She's convinced no one knows what it's like to have a parent who's afraid of everything―until Dorit Shoshani moves to town. Clever, independent Dorit understands Melanie's home life thanks to her own family's struggles. The girls become fast friends. But when the Shimmers finally start to pay attention to Melanie, she's torn between her bond with Dorit and her chance at popularity.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published April 2, 2024
About the author
Deborah Lakritz
5 books7 followersI grew up in Skokie, Ilinois, riding my bicycle all over our neighborhood, swimming at the community pool, and spending hours at the Skokie Public Library.
The Skokie Public Library has always been a wondrous place for me. It’s where I first showed my mother I could read—sitting at a table in the children’s room! It’s also where I discovered books like Beezus and Ramona, and All-of-a-Kind Family, two of my all-time favorites. And later, it’s where I curled up in a special area called The Unicorner and explored books by Judy Blume.
Before I became a children’s author, I worked as a social worker. Often, I used books to help children navigate through tough times. Soon, I started to have my own book ideas, and after lots of years of learning the craft of writing while raising my five children, I’m happy to say that both my books and my children are out in the world now!
The Skokie Public Library has always been a wondrous place for me. It’s where I first showed my mother I could read—sitting at a table in the children’s room! It’s also where I discovered books like Beezus and Ramona, and All-of-a-Kind Family, two of my all-time favorites. And later, it’s where I curled up in a special area called The Unicorner and explored books by Judy Blume.
Before I became a children’s author, I worked as a social worker. Often, I used books to help children navigate through tough times. Soon, I started to have my own book ideas, and after lots of years of learning the craft of writing while raising my five children, I’m happy to say that both my books and my children are out in the world now!
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 21, 2024
Fantastic book . 5.0
Wanting to be part of the "in-crowd" at school, Melanie cant break into the group.. And.. there is also the fact that Melanie's mother suffers from PTSD seems to always exacerbate everything. Eight grade is a tough one. The constant anxiety of being left out takes a toll on child and parent.
I remember a friend of my daughter's did something so outrageous to fit in and be accepted. Did it work?
"Things That Shimmer" written by Deborah Lakris speaks to this unstoppable topic much better than I ever could.
Wanting to be part of the "in-crowd" at school, Melanie cant break into the group.. And.. there is also the fact that Melanie's mother suffers from PTSD seems to always exacerbate everything. Eight grade is a tough one. The constant anxiety of being left out takes a toll on child and parent.
I remember a friend of my daughter's did something so outrageous to fit in and be accepted. Did it work?
"Things That Shimmer" written by Deborah Lakris speaks to this unstoppable topic much better than I ever could.
April 6, 2024
*A wonderful nostalgia trip for anyone who was a kid during the 70’s.*
Melanie is really hopeful about this last year in junior high. She and her best friend, Vicky, want so badly to be accepted by the “Shimmers”, the most popular girls in school. Melanie isn’t quite sure how to accomplish this, however; she already has the rep of being a “model student”, which scores no points with the Shimmers. And, there’s a bigger issue she must keep hidden. After a car accident two years ago, Melanie’s mom is still afraid of literally everything, always imagining and panicking about things that might happen. Vicky knows about this, because she and Melanie have been best friends since “size two shoes”, but can’t really understand how painful it is to have a mom living in constant fear.
Then, Melanie meets Dorit, and her whole world suddenly changes. Finally, she has a friend that gets what it is like to have a traumatized parent. Dorit’s dad fought in the Six-Day-War in Israel, and the memories sometimes still haunt him. Melanie has so much fun with Dorit during the summer of 1973, and feels so lucky to have her to confide in. But it’s a different kind of friendship than she would have if she became a Shimmer girl…
Such a relatable book! Melanie is growing up in a world where things like color t.v.s, digital watches, and the Carpenters’ songs are new and all the rage. She and her peers are also bombarded with world news about Watergate, Vietnam, and the fighting in the Middle East. For pre-teens, however, angst over acceptance into a popular group will always take precedence. Proof that some things about life experiences will never change, even over a span of five decades!
Thanks, Netgalley, for the digital copy of this wonderful novel!
Melanie is really hopeful about this last year in junior high. She and her best friend, Vicky, want so badly to be accepted by the “Shimmers”, the most popular girls in school. Melanie isn’t quite sure how to accomplish this, however; she already has the rep of being a “model student”, which scores no points with the Shimmers. And, there’s a bigger issue she must keep hidden. After a car accident two years ago, Melanie’s mom is still afraid of literally everything, always imagining and panicking about things that might happen. Vicky knows about this, because she and Melanie have been best friends since “size two shoes”, but can’t really understand how painful it is to have a mom living in constant fear.
Then, Melanie meets Dorit, and her whole world suddenly changes. Finally, she has a friend that gets what it is like to have a traumatized parent. Dorit’s dad fought in the Six-Day-War in Israel, and the memories sometimes still haunt him. Melanie has so much fun with Dorit during the summer of 1973, and feels so lucky to have her to confide in. But it’s a different kind of friendship than she would have if she became a Shimmer girl…
Such a relatable book! Melanie is growing up in a world where things like color t.v.s, digital watches, and the Carpenters’ songs are new and all the rage. She and her peers are also bombarded with world news about Watergate, Vietnam, and the fighting in the Middle East. For pre-teens, however, angst over acceptance into a popular group will always take precedence. Proof that some things about life experiences will never change, even over a span of five decades!
Thanks, Netgalley, for the digital copy of this wonderful novel!
April 28, 2024
Wow! This gave me all the Judy Blume wonderfulness and feelings. Things That Shimmer is beautifully written, touching, fun, and nostalgic. I didn't grow up in the 70s yet I fully felt Deborah Lakritz captured my tween years, from the way students interact in the cafeteria and on field trips to the delicate and dangerous balance of making new friendships while managing changing ones. The way the popular kids seem so appealing until you get up close, and the way you have to decide between being a good person and being cool, at an age when those are often mutually exclusive. Melanie's best friend is slowly becoming one of the popular girls, the Shimmers, but it's okay because Melanie has a new best friend, new girl Dorit, who doesn't care at all about popularity. But when Melanie gets a chance to be a Shimmer, will she leave Dorit behind? I won't spoil it. As for grade level, I'm an adult who loved reading it, and the content is totally appropriate for middle grade and up Highly recommend this excellent book for you AND your kid!
January 30, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. Things That Shimmer is middle-grade historical fiction set in the 1970s that revolves around a Jewish girl, Melanie Adler, as she navigates wanting to fit in at school but also the difficulties of her mother's PTSD. When Melanie befriends a new girl at school, Dorit, who also has a parent with PTSD, she is torn between her desire to be part of the popular group—the Shimmers—and her desire to have a friend who truly understands her. I think Melanie's struggles will be relatable for middle-grade readers, and I appreciated the historical details and mentions of historical events throughout—including Watergate and the Yom Kippur War—which ground the reader in the time period. Lakritz mentions in the afterword that she drew upon her own childhood experiences in writing this book and it definitely shows. I also loved that there were so many Jewish characters throughout, and their Jewish identities aren't ever questioned—they're just a given and they feel normalized in a way that I don't often see in Jewish middle-grade books.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 21, 2024
Sometimes the things that we want is not always best like wanting to be a part of a group. Especially if they're mean.
I loved every minute of this book. It took me back to my school days. I didn't want the book to end at all! Yes, it was written in In Verse style but it was still so good! Usually I don't like that style but for some reason this book hit home for me.
I really enjoyed learning about the Watergate incident that threw the presidential election off that year. It was interesting because now no president after Nixon could clean it up.
I think that my heart went out to Melanie's mom and Dorit's dad the most. Two of the most broken people I've ever met. I kept hoping for them.
Everyone has a story.
Fear is the controller. I hated that about my favorite characters ' people.
This was a wonderful coming of age story that I absolutely loved.
There were places that I did laugh out loud though. This wasn't all doom and gloom. A few light hearted moments.
Be sure to read the author's notes at the end.
And I liked the quote that says Some people aren't what they seem to be. So very true in most cases. Didn't Nixon prove that? Trust is already hard to come by.
A lot of this happened when I was really little so I can't relate to most of it.
Now Melanie's school years I can. The growing up and wanting to belong I definitely can. She's an awesome girl who's had to learn things the hard way just like we all do.
I'm like her too, about not appreciating things that are right in front of you or put in your path until it's roo late. Like Melanie I've had regrets so yes I understand Melanie to a point. This is definitely a heartfelt story of a journey to find one's self and where you actually belong.
A box of tissues might be required.
5 stars for a well written story even though it's In Verse style. I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
I loved every minute of this book. It took me back to my school days. I didn't want the book to end at all! Yes, it was written in In Verse style but it was still so good! Usually I don't like that style but for some reason this book hit home for me.
I really enjoyed learning about the Watergate incident that threw the presidential election off that year. It was interesting because now no president after Nixon could clean it up.
I think that my heart went out to Melanie's mom and Dorit's dad the most. Two of the most broken people I've ever met. I kept hoping for them.
Everyone has a story.
Fear is the controller. I hated that about my favorite characters ' people.
This was a wonderful coming of age story that I absolutely loved.
There were places that I did laugh out loud though. This wasn't all doom and gloom. A few light hearted moments.
Be sure to read the author's notes at the end.
And I liked the quote that says Some people aren't what they seem to be. So very true in most cases. Didn't Nixon prove that? Trust is already hard to come by.
A lot of this happened when I was really little so I can't relate to most of it.
Now Melanie's school years I can. The growing up and wanting to belong I definitely can. She's an awesome girl who's had to learn things the hard way just like we all do.
I'm like her too, about not appreciating things that are right in front of you or put in your path until it's roo late. Like Melanie I've had regrets so yes I understand Melanie to a point. This is definitely a heartfelt story of a journey to find one's self and where you actually belong.
A box of tissues might be required.
5 stars for a well written story even though it's In Verse style. I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
January 14, 2024
Many pre-teen girls would do just about anything to be accepted as part of a popular clique. At first glance, Melanie Adler seems to fit this mold. But Melanie's character grows more complex when she meets a new girl named Dorit. Only Dorit understand what it means to have a parent with PTSD. Only Dorit likes Melanie for who she truly is. A fun, funny girl who seems to treasure friendship.
But when the Shimmers, the popular clique in their class, begin to see something special in Melanie, Melanie finds herself forced to choose between the clique and Dorit. Layered in the history of the 70's and Nixon's presidency, kids will find THINGS THAT SHIMMER packed with issues they can relate to.
What does it mean to long for independence under the burden of a parent who has a need to know your every move?
What does it mean to be a friend?
Why is it important to fit in? Or is it?
Lakritz's novel shimmers with humor, heart and much hope.
But when the Shimmers, the popular clique in their class, begin to see something special in Melanie, Melanie finds herself forced to choose between the clique and Dorit. Layered in the history of the 70's and Nixon's presidency, kids will find THINGS THAT SHIMMER packed with issues they can relate to.
What does it mean to long for independence under the burden of a parent who has a need to know your every move?
What does it mean to be a friend?
Why is it important to fit in? Or is it?
Lakritz's novel shimmers with humor, heart and much hope.
April 20, 2024
This book is incredibly rich and deep for a book which, on the surface, is the age-old story of a girl who really wants nothing more than to fit in the popular group. Melanie's family was in a horrible car accident a few years previously--although everyone survived, her mom has tremendous facial scarring and has developed debilitating PTSD. And although on first glance, her all-consuming desire to be accepted by 'the Shimmers' - the group of popular kids at her middle school - Melanie's desire is slowly revealed to feel normal. Melanie believes she's the only girl who has a 'messed up family' but acceptance by the Shimmers will validate her into feeling like she's normal, like everyone else, that she can escape her terrified and controlling mom. Enter Dorit, a new girl who suddenly flips Melanie's plans on their head. Dorit's father is a veteran and also has terrible PTSD. Suddenly Melanie feels a connection she never thought possible, without hiding the more embarrassing parts of her life. But when the Shimmers finally notice her and start to include her, does Melanie give up a friendship that lets her feel relaxed and fully herself, or does she give 'being normal' one more chance?
One of the most nuanced versions of the 'I want to be popular' novels I've ever read. One that weighs the desire for being noticed and included by the popular kids with a heartbreaking motive that drives this out of the genre of self-centered shallowness. What price is Melanie willing to pay to be seen as like everyone else? What is the worth of friendship --outwards validation or being able to be your true self?
Positively marvelous and recommended so so so much!
One of the most nuanced versions of the 'I want to be popular' novels I've ever read. One that weighs the desire for being noticed and included by the popular kids with a heartbreaking motive that drives this out of the genre of self-centered shallowness. What price is Melanie willing to pay to be seen as like everyone else? What is the worth of friendship --outwards validation or being able to be your true self?
Positively marvelous and recommended so so so much!
January 15, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing for the e-ARC.
It is 1973 and Melanie Adler and her best friend, Vickie are both wanting in the most popular group at school, The Shimmers. Fitting in is difficult for her when her mother, who was seriously injured in a car wreck that has left her with PTSD and scars, worries about everything and needs to know what Melanie is doing at all times. Good things happen when a new student, Dorit, begins school and she and Melanie become immediate friends. For the first time, Melanie has a friend who empathizes and understands Melanie's and has her own family issues., especially when Israel is attacked on Yom Kippur, where she has family living.
Even with her new best friend, Melanie still can't help wanting to be in with the Shimmers, and when she finally gets invited to the head Shimmer's Bat Mitzvah, she choses them over Dorit.
I really enjoyed all the 1970s pop culture, Watergate, and with the war going on in Israel and Gaza right now, students will make connections to the Yom Kippur attack in the book. I will definitely purchase for my historical fiction collection.
It is 1973 and Melanie Adler and her best friend, Vickie are both wanting in the most popular group at school, The Shimmers. Fitting in is difficult for her when her mother, who was seriously injured in a car wreck that has left her with PTSD and scars, worries about everything and needs to know what Melanie is doing at all times. Good things happen when a new student, Dorit, begins school and she and Melanie become immediate friends. For the first time, Melanie has a friend who empathizes and understands Melanie's and has her own family issues., especially when Israel is attacked on Yom Kippur, where she has family living.
Even with her new best friend, Melanie still can't help wanting to be in with the Shimmers, and when she finally gets invited to the head Shimmer's Bat Mitzvah, she choses them over Dorit.
I really enjoyed all the 1970s pop culture, Watergate, and with the war going on in Israel and Gaza right now, students will make connections to the Yom Kippur attack in the book. I will definitely purchase for my historical fiction collection.
December 26, 2023
Melanie Adler has felt like a loser her entire life, and what’s worse, a traumatic accident has upset the balance of her whole family; her mother is struggling with terrible PTSD. If she could be one of the Shimmers, a group of the most popular girls in school, surely her life would be so much better and it wouldn’t matter what was going on at home. A new girl in town, Dorit, understands what Melanie is going through and they’re soon inseparable. But when one of the Shimmers befriends Melanie, how can she navigate both friendships? Especially since the Shimmers are a group of mean girls?
A bittersweet story about learning the cost of what happens when you don’t appreciate the people in your life the way you should. The ending felt very true to life and I liked that there was the acknowledgment that things would never go back to the way they were before, but even with that, Melanie was going to be ok.
Thank you, NetGalley for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
A bittersweet story about learning the cost of what happens when you don’t appreciate the people in your life the way you should. The ending felt very true to life and I liked that there was the acknowledgment that things would never go back to the way they were before, but even with that, Melanie was going to be ok.
Thank you, NetGalley for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2024
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Melanie Adler is dealing with a lot at home; her family was in a car accident, and her mother was badly injured. Because of this trauma, she suffers from migraines and chronic anxiety, to the point where she panics is Melanie isn't home from school right away. Melanie has things to worry about at school as well; it's 1973, and she's read enough Teen Beat to know that as a 7th grader, she should be popular. Her long time best friend, Vicky, is starting to hang out with the popular crowd known as "the Shimmers", but Melanie herself isn't able to attract the attention of the queen bee. Instead, she gets picked by the principal to show the new girl around. Dorit Shoshani was born in Israel, and her father fought in the Six-Day War. Dorit has moved around enough to know that there are always popular girls, and she has no interest whatsoever in jumping through the hoops to be one of them. She and Melanie become good friends, especially when her family buys a house in the same neighborhood. The two are both dealing with family trauma; living with parents with PTSD is not easy, and this was a period of time when this was not identified or treated in the way it is now. Instead of worrying about make up, boys, or clothes, the two are more interested in swimming at the pool, doing crafts, and dancing to the new Carpenters' album. When Melanie is paired with the popular Marla in the Girls' Foods, the two enjoy working together, and Melanie is invited to Marla's bat mitzvah celebration. Vicky is not, but the fact that Melanie might be considered for the Shimmers renews Vicky's interest in her old friend. Unfortunately, this new popularity does not endear her to Dorit. When the Yom Kippur war takes place, Dorit is very stressed, and the family eventually decides to move back to Israel. Melanie wants to try to make amends before her friend moves away. Will she be able to?
Strengths: This is perhaps the very best example of including historical details that I have seen. It helps that I have experienced many of the historical details personally and can attest to the veracity of every single one. The New Betty Crocker Boys' and Girls' Cookbook, complete with Mad Hatter Meatballs and Flopsy Mopsy Carrots? On my bookshelf as we speak. Love Babysoft Perfume? Still have a bottle. Watergate, snoopy posters, pink-and-green bedrooms, Go Ask Alice, mood rings, The Partridge Family, baby oil at the pool, and innovations like blow dryers, digital wrist watches, and computer-printed schedules are all mentioned, along with the coup de grâce: a glass cup that "looks like an ice-cream sundae but it's really a candle that smells like strawberries" and wallpaper that is "green and gold flowers that look like popcorn balls" and is FUZZY.
Whew. Sorry. Time traveled back to 1973 for a moment to the hallway of my best friend's house. Seriously. This was exquisiste.
There are good points NOT related to my own personal childhood. The parallel experiences of parental trauma the girls must deal with is a good bonding mechanism. At its heart, this is a story of personal identity and the age old middle school experience of losing friends because you grow in different directions. It doesn't matter if this happens when you are wearing the bell bottoms and maxi dresses of the 1970s, the low slung jeans and chokers of the 1990s, or the Crocs and Buffalo Plaid pajama pants of the 2020s; it still hurts the same. This story could be told in a modern setting, but I loved that this is based off some of the author's real life experiences and related in all of the green shag glory of 1973.
Weaknesses: This is set in an indeterminate middle American town with a university, but it must have been one hip and happening place to allow girls to wear not only PANTS to school, but worn out JEANS. That, along with a mention of yogurt in a school lunch when the author CLEARLY meant to say "Delmonte Pudding Cup", is a slight anomaly that I would be remiss in not mentioning!
What I really think: This is a must purchase for any middle school to bolster the historical fiction section and will be great displayed along with Collard's Double Eagle, Shang's The Way Home Looks Now, Dumas' It Aint' So Awful, Falafel, Bithell's Brave Bird at Wounded Knee, Kalmar's Stealing Mount Rushmore, Parson's Clouds Over California, Farmer's Malcolm and Me, Woodson's Remember Us, Budhos' The Long Ride, Frank's Armstrong and Charlie, Hitchcock's One True Way, Amos' Cookies and Milk, Alikhan's Marika Marches for Equality, Nokowitz's The Prince of Steel Pier, Supplee's The Sweetness All Around, Jones' Finding My Place, Toalsen's Colors of the Rain, graphic novels Harper's Bad Sister, Martin's MexiKid, Russo's Why is Everybody Yelling, Copeland's Cub, Holm's Sunny Side Up, and Tavares' Hoops,and Kuzki's Soul Lanterns and Smith's Dawn Raid (for an international perspective!).
Melanie Adler is dealing with a lot at home; her family was in a car accident, and her mother was badly injured. Because of this trauma, she suffers from migraines and chronic anxiety, to the point where she panics is Melanie isn't home from school right away. Melanie has things to worry about at school as well; it's 1973, and she's read enough Teen Beat to know that as a 7th grader, she should be popular. Her long time best friend, Vicky, is starting to hang out with the popular crowd known as "the Shimmers", but Melanie herself isn't able to attract the attention of the queen bee. Instead, she gets picked by the principal to show the new girl around. Dorit Shoshani was born in Israel, and her father fought in the Six-Day War. Dorit has moved around enough to know that there are always popular girls, and she has no interest whatsoever in jumping through the hoops to be one of them. She and Melanie become good friends, especially when her family buys a house in the same neighborhood. The two are both dealing with family trauma; living with parents with PTSD is not easy, and this was a period of time when this was not identified or treated in the way it is now. Instead of worrying about make up, boys, or clothes, the two are more interested in swimming at the pool, doing crafts, and dancing to the new Carpenters' album. When Melanie is paired with the popular Marla in the Girls' Foods, the two enjoy working together, and Melanie is invited to Marla's bat mitzvah celebration. Vicky is not, but the fact that Melanie might be considered for the Shimmers renews Vicky's interest in her old friend. Unfortunately, this new popularity does not endear her to Dorit. When the Yom Kippur war takes place, Dorit is very stressed, and the family eventually decides to move back to Israel. Melanie wants to try to make amends before her friend moves away. Will she be able to?
Strengths: This is perhaps the very best example of including historical details that I have seen. It helps that I have experienced many of the historical details personally and can attest to the veracity of every single one. The New Betty Crocker Boys' and Girls' Cookbook, complete with Mad Hatter Meatballs and Flopsy Mopsy Carrots? On my bookshelf as we speak. Love Babysoft Perfume? Still have a bottle. Watergate, snoopy posters, pink-and-green bedrooms, Go Ask Alice, mood rings, The Partridge Family, baby oil at the pool, and innovations like blow dryers, digital wrist watches, and computer-printed schedules are all mentioned, along with the coup de grâce: a glass cup that "looks like an ice-cream sundae but it's really a candle that smells like strawberries" and wallpaper that is "green and gold flowers that look like popcorn balls" and is FUZZY.
Whew. Sorry. Time traveled back to 1973 for a moment to the hallway of my best friend's house. Seriously. This was exquisiste.
There are good points NOT related to my own personal childhood. The parallel experiences of parental trauma the girls must deal with is a good bonding mechanism. At its heart, this is a story of personal identity and the age old middle school experience of losing friends because you grow in different directions. It doesn't matter if this happens when you are wearing the bell bottoms and maxi dresses of the 1970s, the low slung jeans and chokers of the 1990s, or the Crocs and Buffalo Plaid pajama pants of the 2020s; it still hurts the same. This story could be told in a modern setting, but I loved that this is based off some of the author's real life experiences and related in all of the green shag glory of 1973.
Weaknesses: This is set in an indeterminate middle American town with a university, but it must have been one hip and happening place to allow girls to wear not only PANTS to school, but worn out JEANS. That, along with a mention of yogurt in a school lunch when the author CLEARLY meant to say "Delmonte Pudding Cup", is a slight anomaly that I would be remiss in not mentioning!
What I really think: This is a must purchase for any middle school to bolster the historical fiction section and will be great displayed along with Collard's Double Eagle, Shang's The Way Home Looks Now, Dumas' It Aint' So Awful, Falafel, Bithell's Brave Bird at Wounded Knee, Kalmar's Stealing Mount Rushmore, Parson's Clouds Over California, Farmer's Malcolm and Me, Woodson's Remember Us, Budhos' The Long Ride, Frank's Armstrong and Charlie, Hitchcock's One True Way, Amos' Cookies and Milk, Alikhan's Marika Marches for Equality, Nokowitz's The Prince of Steel Pier, Supplee's The Sweetness All Around, Jones' Finding My Place, Toalsen's Colors of the Rain, graphic novels Harper's Bad Sister, Martin's MexiKid, Russo's Why is Everybody Yelling, Copeland's Cub, Holm's Sunny Side Up, and Tavares' Hoops,and Kuzki's Soul Lanterns and Smith's Dawn Raid (for an international perspective!).
January 11, 2024
Things That Shimmer is a powerful story about friendship, self-knowledge and acceptance. Melanie Adler is a pre-teen caught in typical middle school angst: she wants to be part of the in clique, but the cool girls don’t even notice her. Her best friend is making inroads, leaving Melanie to question their relationship. When a new girl moves in, she and Melanie become fast friends as they understand each other’s challenging home situations. Later, when Melanie starts to bond with cool “shimmer” girls, she must decide where her allegiances lie and deal with the consequences of her choices. Set in the 1970’s against the backdrop of Watergate in the US and the Yom Kippur War in Israel, both the characters and story are richly developed. Deborah Lakritz perfectly captures the thrill of belonging to a popular group, and the anguish of being outside, and worse, feeling different. Mental health issues are addressed in an age appropriate way, which cause the reader to feel compassion for Melanie, even as she makes missteps. This book is a welcome addition in the middle school genre and will help readers see themselves, their choices, and their possibilities in a whole new light. I wish this book had been available to me as a kid; it would’ve helped me to better navigate the choppy waters of junior high and validate the angsty bouquet of emotions that are fraught with the age.
December 11, 2024
DNF. When I get uncomfortable reading a middle grade book (it’s meant for grades 4th-6th), and feel it needs trigger warnings, you know an intense book. I like reading all ages of books, but this felt like two storylines in one book that were not connected. (Maybe they will connect further along?) And the worshipping of other students and body shaming is so intense that it is not okay. I don’t have kids, but I nanny and have cousins. This would open up way too many questions for a 4th grader and I feel encourage unhealthy lifestyle choices for a 6th grader.
The best thing about it is the character of Dorit, who has self confidence and just wants to have fun. But even she is not enough to want to read the book.
Also, I love Jewish representation in a book, but this felt like an after thought. How can we add another interesting fact to this family? Let’s make them Jewish. And then it’s only mentioned randomly like the author forgot about it.
The best thing about it is the character of Dorit, who has self confidence and just wants to have fun. But even she is not enough to want to read the book.
Also, I love Jewish representation in a book, but this felt like an after thought. How can we add another interesting fact to this family? Let’s make them Jewish. And then it’s only mentioned randomly like the author forgot about it.
December 12, 2024
Things That Shimmer About Things That Shimmer :
A relatable MC, Melanie Adler, who’s obsessed with being accepted by the Shimmers, the popular group at school, even if it means letting down her one true friend.
Those 70s vibes–fringy fashion, Strawberry Parfait lip gloss, to the ever-present buzz about a corrupt president who fails to take responsibility for his actions.
The tumultuous relationship between Malanie and her mother, who suffers from PTSD after a serious car accident.
The roller coaster friendship between Melanie and Dorit Shoshani, the new girl whose Israeli father also suffers from debilitating anxiety after serving in the Yom Kippur War.
Marla Renee Forstein’s shimmery bat mitzvah.
The seamless way in which Lakritz weaves together a young tween’s struggles against the backdrop of momentous events in history. Love this book!
A relatable MC, Melanie Adler, who’s obsessed with being accepted by the Shimmers, the popular group at school, even if it means letting down her one true friend.
Those 70s vibes–fringy fashion, Strawberry Parfait lip gloss, to the ever-present buzz about a corrupt president who fails to take responsibility for his actions.
The tumultuous relationship between Malanie and her mother, who suffers from PTSD after a serious car accident.
The roller coaster friendship between Melanie and Dorit Shoshani, the new girl whose Israeli father also suffers from debilitating anxiety after serving in the Yom Kippur War.
Marla Renee Forstein’s shimmery bat mitzvah.
The seamless way in which Lakritz weaves together a young tween’s struggles against the backdrop of momentous events in history. Love this book!
March 26, 2024
Things that Shimmer is a fantastic middle grade book that dives deep into what it means to be a good friend. Melanie Adler is a middle schooler (7th and 8th grades) who finds herself in a tricky situation -- fitting in with the popular crowd or being a true friend to girls who are on the "outs." I felt like the story captured middle school friendships so well, while also discussing PTSD in parents and introducing kids to the 70s. I liked the realistic ending and the hopeful message that it's never too late to become a better version of ourselves.
(I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
(I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
December 4, 2024
Melanie has wanted for a long time to be part of the group at school known as The Shimmers. They are the group everyone wants to be with. Her best friend Vicky has been drawn into their orbit and has drifted away from their friendship. Fortunately, Melanie makes a new friend, Dorit, who moves to the area. Dorit seems to understand about Mel's family troubles which surround her mom's PTSD from a bad car accident years before. However, Dorit doesn't care about The Shimmers. In the end, Melanie has to choose which path to take, but will it be too late or will she learn her own mind in time? Will she choose shimmer or substance? This story is very low key for a good chunk of the book.
February 2, 2024
Things That Shimmer authentically portrays the teenage experience of fitting in, at the cost of staying true to yourself and recognizing the value of true friendship.
The story is set in 1973, perfectly capturing the feel of that era both culturally and historically. Details of the Watergate scandal in the US and the Yom Kippur War in Israel are seamlessly woven into the plot, enriching the story.
Warning: This book will make you crave sufganiot (Israeli round jelly doughnut), and not just on Hanukkah. ;-)
The story is set in 1973, perfectly capturing the feel of that era both culturally and historically. Details of the Watergate scandal in the US and the Yom Kippur War in Israel are seamlessly woven into the plot, enriching the story.
Warning: This book will make you crave sufganiot (Israeli round jelly doughnut), and not just on Hanukkah. ;-)
January 10, 2024
* I was given an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.
This was my first read of this author, and I was greatly impressed. Things That Shimmer is the story of a 7th grade girl in the 1970s and her desperate longing to be accepted into the group of cool kids known as The Shimmers. This book brought back a lot of memories of my junior high years, many of which were painful to remember. This book about friendship and being true to oneself is excellent, one of the best YA novels I've read in years. Highly recommended!
This was my first read of this author, and I was greatly impressed. Things That Shimmer is the story of a 7th grade girl in the 1970s and her desperate longing to be accepted into the group of cool kids known as The Shimmers. This book brought back a lot of memories of my junior high years, many of which were painful to remember. This book about friendship and being true to oneself is excellent, one of the best YA novels I've read in years. Highly recommended!
March 31, 2024
This book took me right back to being a middle schooler in the 1970’s—the good, the bad, and everything in between. Trying to navigate friendships and her mother’s anxiety, our protagonist, Melanie, takes us along as she tries to figure it all out. Excellent middle grade novel!
February 2, 2024
I read this book in manuscript form. It's phenomenal. FRTC, but I want to say now that this is worthy of a Sydney Taylor Award!!
August 2, 2024
A perfect novel about friendship, family, and finding your way.
February 21, 2024
This is not the first Debbi Lakritz book I have read, but I would definitely say it's the best. And I'm not simply expressing that opinion because I've known her for years and she sent me a free copy.
Having seen early drafts of it as a WIP, I have been waiting for years to read this book, but it far exceeded my expectations. Debbi portrays Melanie as a complex and realistic thirteen-year-old to whom any modern seventh grader can relate. Yet she throws some little 1973 gems into the story: curly telephone cords that don't stretch quite far enough, change for pay phones, clock faces with "hands inching their way around the numbers," three broadcast television networks, Walter Cronkite, the eighteen-and-a-half minutes of erased tape, weekly Top 40 hits lists, etc. I hope modern MG readers can appreciate the "historical" flavor as much as those of us who can remember exactly where we were when we learned about the Watergate break-in and cover-up and Rosemary Woods's manneristic contortions.
I have read too many books in the genre where the reader (at least an adult reader) doesn't need to read more than the first chapter to recognize a so-called "friend" as unworthy of trust or admiration, but it takes the main character 200+ pages to discover the perfidy. One continually wants to yell "What's wrong with you? How can you be so stupid?" in disgust as one reads, so what a relief that Debbi managed to avoid that trap here. Melanie realizes early enough that she may have misjudged another girl (no spoilers) and struggles with some of the choices she has to make. Although in a crucial scene, one wants to shout, "No, Melanie, don't do it! Don't do it!" one can totally believe that yup, Melanie does it. It even took me several chapters to realize that the book is written in first person present tense (I think "Thou Shalt Not Employ Past Tense Verbs or Third Person Pronouns" must be the 11th Commandment of YA authors) and by the time I noticed that, it didn't bother me after all. I didn't realize how much of the story came from her own life, and the resolution, which had a little bit of wishful thinking, did not come off as at all contrived.
I wish to thank the author for the ARC. Things that Shimmer will remain in my thoughts for longer than most books do, and I would recommend it to any young reader.
Having seen early drafts of it as a WIP, I have been waiting for years to read this book, but it far exceeded my expectations. Debbi portrays Melanie as a complex and realistic thirteen-year-old to whom any modern seventh grader can relate. Yet she throws some little 1973 gems into the story: curly telephone cords that don't stretch quite far enough, change for pay phones, clock faces with "hands inching their way around the numbers," three broadcast television networks, Walter Cronkite, the eighteen-and-a-half minutes of erased tape, weekly Top 40 hits lists, etc. I hope modern MG readers can appreciate the "historical" flavor as much as those of us who can remember exactly where we were when we learned about the Watergate break-in and cover-up and Rosemary Woods's manneristic contortions.
I have read too many books in the genre where the reader (at least an adult reader) doesn't need to read more than the first chapter to recognize a so-called "friend" as unworthy of trust or admiration, but it takes the main character 200+ pages to discover the perfidy. One continually wants to yell "What's wrong with you? How can you be so stupid?" in disgust as one reads, so what a relief that Debbi managed to avoid that trap here. Melanie realizes early enough that she may have misjudged another girl (no spoilers) and struggles with some of the choices she has to make. Although in a crucial scene, one wants to shout, "No, Melanie, don't do it! Don't do it!" one can totally believe that yup, Melanie does it. It even took me several chapters to realize that the book is written in first person present tense (I think "Thou Shalt Not Employ Past Tense Verbs or Third Person Pronouns" must be the 11th Commandment of YA authors) and by the time I noticed that, it didn't bother me after all. I didn't realize how much of the story came from her own life, and the resolution, which had a little bit of wishful thinking, did not come off as at all contrived.
I wish to thank the author for the ARC. Things that Shimmer will remain in my thoughts for longer than most books do, and I would recommend it to any young reader.
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