Berry Parker Doesn’t Catch Crushes
by Tanita S. Davis
Middle School    Harper/HarperCollins    336 pp.
9/25    9780063284791    $18.99

Love stinks, and twelve-year-old Beryl “Berry” Parker is overwhelmed by the stench. It seems as if every time someone falls in love, she gets left behind: her mom is considering moving to England with her boyfriend; her best friend, Lia, is smitten with a boy; and her dad is suddenly hanging around with her gym teacher. Berry is determined to prove that life is better without the distraction of crushes. The story skillfully navigates the shifting dynamics of adolescence and family relationships, exploring Berry’s deep-seated wish to reunite her divorced parents as well as the equally complex evolution of her friendship with Lia as their priorities diverge. Through it all, this is a sensitive look at a young Black girl’s interior life. A third-person narration that feels intimately connected to Berry’s thoughts and feelings and the use of creative language, such as Berry’s description of summer as “tangerine” (“a bright, juicy shade that bubbled with fizzy warmth and happiness”), bring her emotional world to life. This novel provides a healthy and realistic overview of family and friendship in middle school, highlighting that while navigating change is difficult, staying true to oneself can provide a valuable map.

From the November/December 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.