The Warbler School Chronicles by Stephanie Barbé Hammer

The Warbler School is a fictional private girls’ school in New York where the protagonist, who is You, attends for eight years. The second person and present tense POV are the perfect vehicle for the eleven stories, pulling the reader into the campus and its atmosphere. While there is magic afoot, each tale has You worrying over just the sort of things childhood relationships consist of. Clothing, shoes, prettiness or the lack of it. Money and status. But most of all, at the heart of the collection are the dynamics of friendships, maintained or lost. Reading, I was awash in the flood of memories, the old worry of being lonesome and alone while trying to hold onto my core self. 

Though it’s a chapbook for adults, The Warbler School would also be great to have on a display spinner at the middle school and high school libraries. A quick read packed with relatable emotions.