J.R. Silver Writes Her World - by Melissa Dassori

About the Book

J.R. struggles to navigate the torments of middle school, made thornier by her secret power to write wishes into existence.

Book Synopsis

★ "Fans of E. L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler will particularly enjoy. "―Booklist, starred review

J.R. struggles to navigate the torments of middle school and her secret power to write wishes into existence in this magical story about finding your voice.

Sixth grade is off to a difficult start for Josephine Rose Silver. Her best friend, Violet, returns from camp with a new best friend; her parents refuse to grant her more independence; and her homeroom teacher, Ms. Kline, is full of secrets. When Ms. Kline unveils a collection of old Gothamite magazines and tells her students to build their writing skills by crafting short stories inspired by the iconic covers, J.R. discovers a peculiar power: The stories she writes come true. Soon J.R. is getting a cell phone, scoring game-winning goals, and triggering school cancellations. But it's not long before she realizes that each new story creates as many conflicts as it does solutions. And when J.R. tries to write about her fallout with Violet, all of her problems converge. With a pinch of magic, mystery, art history, and language arts woven into a journey of growth and self-confidence, this promising debut is a heartfelt and satisfying tribute to the power of words.

Perfect for fans of:

• Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead
• The Mona Lisa Vanishes
• ​Museum and Mystery Lovers
• From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
• Night At the Museum

Review Quotes

Praise for J.R. Silver Writes Her World:
An Owlcrate Jr. Book Club Selection
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year
A Washington Post Kids Post Summer Book Club Recommendation

"Fans of E. L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, will particularly enjoy. . . A promising first novel. "--Booklist, starred review

"Dassori combines preteen angst about changing friendships and coming of age with a little bit of magic in this well-crafted text. Fans of E.L. ­Konigsburg's novel will enjoy the descriptions of the Met and its many rooms. Well-paced chapters and captivating characters will keep readers entertained and may also inspire some writing."--School Library Journal

"Balancing realistic relationship drama with magical undertones, debut author Dassori deftly threads references to From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and the Metropolitan Museum of Art into a bustling city-set cautionary tale." --Publishers Weekly

"J.R. emerges sympathetically as a quiet, thoughtful, sensitive, somewhat nerdy girl whose world is reinforced by textual references to popular middle-grade literature, especially her touchstone, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. An intriguing, credible tale of friendship and coming-of-age."--Kirkus Reviews

"Beautifully balancing magic, mystery, and a pitch-perfect exploration of the ups and downs of middle school, JR SILVER WRITES HER WORLD is a story about the power of words, both written and spoken."
--Jess Redman, author of The Miraculous, Quintessence, and The Adventure Is Now

About the Author

Melissa Dassori is a former lawyer who lives in New York City with her family near the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which partly inspired her debut novel J.R. Silver Writes Her World.