Twelve-year-old Autumn loves to write. She finds inspiration all around her, especially in Cameron, the dreamy boy in her journalism class who she has a major crush on. Then her older brother, Hunter, who used to watch out for her but has grown distant since he started high school, reads one of her poems about Cameron to Cameron's older brother. They make fun of it and she is devastated. Determined to show her brother how talented she really is, Autumn decides that she is going to become a published author - now! She writes an essay about her changing relationship with her brother, enters it in a contest, and wins, and her dream of publication is within reach. But if her essay is published, everyone will know her family's secrets. Is being published worth hurting those you love?

In a believable slice-of-life story, Mills (the Nora Notebooks series) writes eloquently of sibling rivalry, dreams turned sour, hard choices, and the insecurities that come with entering adolescence. Readers, especially younger siblings and budding writers, will easily identify with Autumn's plights. --Publishers Weekly

Autumn often describes feeling uncomfortable at being treated like Gallant to her brother's Goofus. The girl's pain and confusion over being pushed away by an older sibling are honest and relatable...Realistic situations and a nuanced protagonist make this a recommended purchase. --School Library Journal

Claudia Mills is the acclaimed author of many books for children, including the Franklin School Friends chapter book series and Zero Tolerance, which Kirkus Reviews called "provocative and fun, from a master of the school story." She also teaches philosophy at the University of Denver. She lives in Boulder, Colorado. claudiamillsauthor.com