Just Right Jillian

Pip. Unzip. Escape! It's hatching season, and all of Jemison Elementary is buzzing about the arrival of the baby chicks. Soon, the chicks will pip a hole in their shell, unzip the egg, and take their places in the world. For fifth-grader Jillian, breaking out of her shell is much harder. Jillian is always too shy to raise her hand in class, even when she knows the right answers; meanwhile her nemesis, Rashida, is never afraid to speak her mind. As Jillian's grandma used to say, being shy is one thing, but hiding is something eles. But now Grandma is gone, and Jillian is sick of being invisible. Her school's annual Mind Bender competition is the perfect way for her to come out of her shell. But only the outspoken and confident kids seem to do well. Kids like Rashida. How can Jillian ever compete? With the help of her best fiend, Marquz, and some unexpected allies, and life advice from the baby chicks, Jillian summons the courage to stand up to her fears and let herself be seen and heard. 
In this heartfelt middle grade novel from debut author Nicole D. Collier, fifth grader Jillian must learn to speak and break free of her shell to enter her school's academic competition and keep her promise to her grandmother. Fifth grader Jillian will do just about anything to blend in, including staying quiet even when she has the right answer. After she loses a classroom competition because she won't speak up, she sets her mind on winning her school's biggest competition. But breaking out of her shell is easier said than done, and Jillian has only a month to keep her promise to her grandmother and prove to herself that she can speak up and show everyone her true self. A warm and relatable middle grade debut novel about family, friendship, and finding the confidence to break free from the crowd and be who you truly are. A CCBC Best of the Year. A Bank Street College Best Book of the Year.