The Kate in Between - Paperback

by Claire Swinarski (Author)

In this timely, call-to-action contemporary middle grade novel from Claire Swinarski, author of What Happens Next, a twelve-year-old girl must face herself, and the truth, after her participation in a bullying incident goes viral.

Kate McAllister is desperate for a change. Something to hit refresh and erase the pain of her mother leaving town without her. So when a group of popular girls folds Kate into their clique, it feels like the answer to all her problems--even if it means ditching Haddie, her childhood bestie.

But when Kate's new friends decide that Haddie is their next target, Kate becomes a passive participant in a cruel incident that could have killed Haddie...had Kate not stepped in, at the last minute, and saved her. The next day, a cell phone video of the rescue goes viral, and Kate is hailed a hero. But Kate knows the truth--she was part of the problem--and it's only a matter of time until the full version of the video is released and everyone knows it too.

With so much at stake, Kate must decide who she wants to be: a liar, a follower, or someone greater.

She's caught between her old best friend and her new popular crowd. What happens when being a hero feels like the biggest lie of all?

• Going Viral: After a video of Kate saving her friend goes viral, she's hailed as a hero. But she knows the full video would tell a very different, and much darker, story.
• Middle School Life: Navigating the choice between your childhood best friend and the popular clique that promises to solve all your problems.
• The Bystander Effect: An unflinching look at what it means to be a bystander, a passive participant, and how silence can be just as cruel as the bullying itself.
• Making Good Choices: A heartfelt and timely story that asks tough questions about honesty, guilt, and finding the courage to do the right thing, even when it's the hardest thing.