Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 06/01/2025 Gr 3–7—As Lilac and her best friend Callie get ready to start seventh grade, Callie predicts life will be full of change. But Lilac doesn't know if she wants anything to change, even as Callie insists "change is fun!" and embraces it. As the girls experiment with new clubs, friends, and activities, even more change is afoot at home: Lilac's Aunt Truly is pregnant with twins. Since Lilac, who is not Truly or Uncle Mack's biological daughter, sometimes feels like an "extra" and "in-the-way" family member, this is too much to handle, prompting her to reach out to her estranged biological father. A thoughtful and vulnerable narrator in this verse novel, Lilac and her journey will resonate with anyone who has feared change and has been forced, whether they felt ready or not, to grapple with its (sometimes surprising) consequences. As Lilac forges bonds with her new hiking friends (her "tramily" or trail family), she begins to realize the value of a zig-zagging path where creating your own markers to follow leads you exactly where you need to be. Lilac is minimally described, but is cued white. VERDICT Accessible verse and a relatable protagonist highlight a winning tale of family, friendship, and change. Highly recommended.—Rebecca Kirshenbaum - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 06/01/2025 *Starred Review* Since her mother's death years prior, Lilac has been living with her uncle, aunt, and cousin. With tight budgets and small spaces, Lilac worries she's an “extra” in this family, a concern that intensifies when her aunt and uncle announce they're pregnant with twins. Worse, her best friend, Callie, is growing increasingly closer with Charla, Lilac's temperamental cousin. Lilac begins finding her own way, first by joining the Trailblazers club and making new friends, and then by reaching out to her absent father. From soccer to Judaism to English breakfast tea, Lilac plumbs her father’s interests and dives into trying to build a relationship with him, all while keeping their correspondence secret. With her beloved aunt on bed rest due to preeclampsia, Lilac fears upsetting her by asking difficult questions. This well-paced narrative depicts the struggle of changing friendships, keeping secrets, complicated families, and feeling superfluous. Thoroughly developed characters and their complex relationships populate this world. Particularly poignant is Lilac's relationship with Charla, as the line between cousins and siblings has been blurred since Lilac's mother's death. Told in verse, this tender story unpacks what it means to be a family while exploring the long-term effects of grief, ultimately offering the hope of healing. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.