As I mentioned to Ms. Dee when I connected with her on Facebook, it’s a book that I both love and hate. I love it because it is written so well. I hate it because it deals so honestly with a topic– sexual harassment–that no 7th grader should have to think about or deal with.
REVIEW
Barbara Dee doesn’t waste time. Right off the bat, the protagonist, Mila, receives unwelcome attention from Callum. He and his three friends (all basketball players) join a circle of friendship Mila and her friends created to celebrate their friend Omi’s birthday. After singing “Happy Birthday” Callum continues to hug Mila.
I wriggled my shoulders, but Callum’s hand was squeezing. And I am not leaving.
Now I could feel my armpits getting damp. (p. 7)
From that uncomfortable encounter onward, Callum and his friends continue to harass Mila. Zara dismisses the incidents as the boys just being friendly and/or Mila being a baby or flirting with them. Omi fails to support Mila. Her fourth friend, Max, sees the bullying and recommends she talk to the assistant principal. But since he is also the basketball coach, Mila is reluctant to bring him into the picture.
At the same time that Mila is experiencing increased unwanted attention and physical contact from the boys, her divorced mother loses her job and the family experiences financial stress. Mila can’t confide in her mother and feels alone. Her one source of comfort–playing her trumpet–doesn’t give her the normal “blue sky feeling” since Callum is in the school band and things seem to happen during practice.
As the book progresses, Mila gets to know Samira, a Black star clarinetest, who observes the unwanted attention Mila is receiving. Here is an interchange between the two girls, beginning with Samira:
“If it was me, I wouldn’t allow it.”
“You think I allowed it?”
“I’m just saying, you don’t have to put up with stuff like that, Mila. It’s just really wrong, you know?” (p. 56)
Although Mila is validated that the boys’ attention is inappropriate, she misunderstands Samira’s comment and is left feeling as if all this is her fault.
Mila’s mother begins working out a local gym that also has classes for kids. Mila ends up in a karate class where Samira clearly knows how to handle herself. Mila thinks,
How do you get like that?
knowing what to do, in what order.
Not thinking. Or not-thinking.
Not ignoring. And not running away.
Could I ever do any of that?
Could one of those girls ever be me?
As hard as I tried, it was impossible to
imagine. (p. 105)
As Mila begins to see that she is a victim of the boys’ bullying, she starts reacting–but not always in appropriate ways. Not until she disrupts the band concert and has a heart-to-heart talk with her band teacher, is Mila given words to understand her experience of sexual harassment. Becoming more adept at karate class gives her newfound confidence. In turn, this is translated into stronger thoughts about herself and more forthright communication with others.
I highly recommend Maybe He Just Likes You for both girls and boys; it would be a useful conversation starter in any classroom or family.
I wrote to Ms. Dee in our Facebook interchange, “I’m over 60. Wish there had been a book like this when I was that age. It would have helped.”
She replied, “Totally agree. We never discussed these things and they never got solved.”
Thanks Joan, You're in the giveaway!
I'm so far behind on my email I missed the giveaway, but I definitely am putting this one on my TBR list. Thanks for telling me about it.