From the Publisher
"With relatable characters, humor, and compelling stakes, Miss Liberty is a fun and engaging story about the struggle to honor traditions while fighting for a better future. Savvy will dance her way into readers’ hearts as she perseveres when plans fall apart and finds the strength to stand up for what’s right." — Lynne Kelly, author of Song For a Whale and The Secret Language of Birds
“In this heartfelt debut, Haley sensitively portrays a character who’s struggling to hold on to the comfort of the familiar while contending with fear regarding an uncertain future. Savvy’s personal ambitions collide with her desire to support her sister’s efforts making for engaging, relatable familial and internal drama.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A fierce, sparkly debut that shows the importance of taking a stand and being yourself.” — Kirkus Reviews
“An intense, interior drama for community and historically minded middle grade readers.” — School Library Journal
author of Song for a Whale Lynne Kelly
With relatable characters, humor, and compelling stakes, Miss Liberty is a fun and engaging story about the struggle to honor traditions while fighting for a better future. Savvy will dance her way into readers’ hearts as she perseveres when plans fall apart and finds the strength to stand up for what’s right.”
Kirkus Reviews
2025-02-15
A 12-year-old girl dreams of being the lead dancer in her small town’s Fourth of July parade, the future of which is under threat.
Savvy loves Glitter Season, when her town starts celebrating and counting down to the Fourth of July. She believes that if she can become Miss Liberty, everything will go well for her; anxious Savvy, who struggles with panic attacks, craves this reassurance. But her older sister, Levi, has other plans. Now in her third year as Miss Liberty, 17-year-old Levi, inspired by her honors civics class, is done being silent. She believes that Miss Liberty should stand for a cause, and hers is protesting a change that undermines voting access for the town’s citizens. Savvy is convinced that Levi’s planned protest will ruin the parade, which the town council decided will end after this year due to budget constraints. Will Savvy be able to fulfill her dream of someday being Miss Liberty? First-person narrator Savvy gives readers strong descriptions of her inner world, the weather forecast (“one less thing to worry about”), and her anxiety. The pacing is just right, and Savvy and her close friends, Seymour (who loves fashion) and Dulce (a student journalist activist), are likable as they support one another in what they each believe matters. Most main characters read white, and Dulce is cued Latine.
A fierce, sparkly debut that shows the importance of taking a stand and being yourself.(Fiction. 8-12)
