"A sympathetic portrayal of adolescent angst with a feel-good
resolution." --Kirkus Reviews
"An engaging story about body image, family dynamics, and the power of
poetry."--School Library Journal
"Cotterill depicts Jelly and her friends deftly, and her exploration of
Jelly's feelings is sensitive and convincing and heralds her triumph in
the end, demonstrating her newly found self-respect."--Booklist
Twelve-year-old Jelly hides her true self behind her humor and keeps
her true thoughts and feelings locked away in a notebook. Can she find
the courage to share who she really is?
Angelica (Jelly for short) is the queen of comedy at school. She has a
personality as big as she is, and everyone loves her impressions. But
Jelly isn't as confident as she pretends to be. No one knows her deepest
thoughts and feelings. She keeps those hidden away in a secret notebook.
Then her mom's new boyfriend, Lennon, arrives. He's kind and perceptive,
and he is the first person to realize that Jelly is playing a part.
Jelly shares her poetry with him and he convinces her to perform one of
her poems as a song at the school talent show. Can Jelly risk letting
people see the real her? What if it all goes wrong?