Ellie Montgomery-Hofstein is used to people gawking at her—and not in a good way.  She's always been bigger than her peers, which has made her the recipient of relentless bullying.  Even her mother is constantly haranguing her for being fat.  Now that Ellie's best friend has moved away, she's facing sixth grade alone, making her even more of a target than usual.  The only place she finds peace is in her backyard swimming pool where she feels weightless and free.

When bubbly Catalina Rodriguez moves in next to Ellie and welcomes her into her boisterous Mexican-American family, Ellie discovers another safe place.  With the help of her new friend and a caring therapist, she starts learning to stand up for herself.  Will these new skills help her face the biggest bully in her life?  Can Ellie help her mother understand that Ellie deserves to be loved just as she is?  Can Ellie finally free herself from the Fat Girl Rules and embrace her big, beautiful self? 

Starfish—a debut novel by Lisa Fipps—is a quick read, but one that sticks with you.  Written in free verse, it's raw and honest.  Anyone who's struggled with their weight, or been bullied for any reason, will empathize with Ellie's pain.  Hopefully, those who bully will also be moved by her story.  Starfish really is impactful as it teaches lessons about the impact that words have, for both good and ill, on other people; how bullying, whether done by children or adults, affects people; the importance of kindness and acceptance; and the empowering magic of learning to stand up for one's self.  This is an important, touching read that I hope kids will take to heart.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Wonder by R.J. Palacio)

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are settling into the new year with hope and resolve.  I've yet to make any resolutions, but I've definitely been thinking about what I want to accomplish this year, both on the blog and off.  What have you come up with?  Any big goals or plans?  Whatever you're shooting for, I wish you the very best of luck with it.

Today's Top Ten Tuesday concerns our Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2021.  I feel like I've talked a lot already about the new releases I'm most looking forward to, but I'll go ahead and give you ten more.  There are tons of great-sounding books coming out this year—I can't wait!

If you want to join in the TTT fun, click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl to get all the details.

Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2021:  

1.  What You Never Knew by Jessica Hamilton (available April 13)—June Bennett is shocked when she inherits her family's ancestral home and island, which she thought had been sold after her father's mysterious disappearance thirty years ago.  When she returns to the island, she learns that her former neighbors believe her dad was murdered.  As June looks into the past, she's taunted by strange happenings in the present.  What is going on in her 100-year-old cottage?  And what really happened to her father?  Sounds compelling!

2.  Survive the Night by Riley Sager (available June 29)—This thriller features a student who uses his college's ride board to hitch a ride home to Ohio.  He's never met the driver and the longer the two are on the road together, the more frightened he becomes about who the man behind the wheel really is.  It's Sager, so I'm definitely in for this one.

3.  Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (available May 4, 2021)—The first installment in a new cozy culinary mystery series, this novel features a woman who is tasked with saving her Tita Rosie's struggling restaurant.  When her food critic ex-boyfriend is found dead, she finds herself playing Nancy Drew in order to save her own neck.  This one sounds similar to the Noodle House Mystery series by Vivien Chien, which I love, so I'm excited to check out this series debut.

4.  Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto (available April 27)—This mystery/rom-com sounds like a lot of fun.  It's all about a woman who accidentally kills her blind date.  When she calls her mother for help, her mother calls in her squad of sisters.  The aunties must help hide a corpse while trying to keep their wedding planning business afloat.  

5.  War and Millie McGonigle by Karen Cushman (available April 6)—This middle grade novel concerns a California girl who's life is changed irrevocably both by a faraway war and problems closer to home.  I'm always up for a World War II novel, so I'm curious to see what this one's all about.

6.  Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh (available February 23)—Ten years ago, a wealthy socialite disappeared with a whole lot of money.  When her body is found buried in the elite neighborhood where she lived, it becomes apparent that she didn't just skip town.  What really happened?  Color me intrigued!

7.  Starfish by Lisa Fipps (available March 9)—This body-positive MG novel revolves around a girl who is bullied because of her weight.  She finds solace in the swimming pool and with supportive people, who help her thrive in spite of her mother's constant criticism.

8.  Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson (available March 2)—I enjoyed A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, so I'm excited for this sequel.  This time around, Pip is on the hunt for a missing teenager.

9.  When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain (available April 13)—When a seasoned missing persons detective returns to her California hometown to grieve, she discovers that a local teen has vanished under mysterious circumstances.  The incident is eerily similar to one that occurred when she was a child.  Can she figure out what happened then and what is going on now?  Sounds compelling, no?

10.  The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S. by David Levithan (available February 2)—When Aidan goes missing for almost a week, everyone wondered where he was.  He returns with an impossible story.  His brother, Lucas, wants to believe Aidan's wild story, but how can he?  With a vague premise like that, I'm definitely interested to see where this story goes ...

There you go, ten 2021 releases I'm looking forward to reading.  Which are on your list?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.

Happy TTT!