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About the Author
Claire Swinarski lives in a small town in Wisconsin with her husband and three kids. She writes books for kids and adults. She always knew she wanted to be an author. She worked at newspapers and magazines before returning to her dream of writing a book. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, going on long walks listening to podcasts, trying out new recipes, or spending time with her family.
About the Book
Anna Hunt may be the new girl at East Middle School, but she can already tell there’s something off about her eighth-grade class. Rachel Riley, who just last year was one of the most popular girls in school, has become a social pariah. But no one, including Rachel herself, will tell Anna why.
As a die-hard podcast enthusiast, Anna knows there’s always more to a story than meets the eye. So she decides to put her fact-seeking skills to the test and create her own podcast around the question that won’t stop running through her head: What happened to Rachel Riley?
With the entire eighth grade working against her, Anna dives headfirst into the evidence. Clue after clue, the mystery widens, painting an even more complex story than Anna could have anticipated. But there’s one thing she’s certain of: If you’re going to ask a complicated question, you better be prepared for the fallout that may come with the answer.
Praise for What Happened to Rachel Riley?:
ALA Notable Children's Book
Regional Indie Bestseller
Audie Award Winner
Edgar Award Nominee
Cybils Award Nominee
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults
New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best
Amazon Best Book of the Year
SLJ Best Book of the Year
Texas Lone Star Reading List
Capital Choices Noteworthy Book for Children
BookPage Best Book of the Year
2024 Elizabeth Burr/Sheridan Worzalla Award for the most distinguished work in children's literature
'This book is incredibly relevant and empowering for readers, and would serve as a powerful conversation starter. Swinarski’s writing is compelling and multifaceted, tackling themes of friendship, betrayal, and harassment beautifully, while keeping them accessible to middle schoolers. Hand to fans of Barbara Dee’s Maybe He Just Likes You.' — School Library Journal (starred review)
'A good fit for classroom or book club reading and discussion [and] a useful addition to the pool of middle-grade books about sexual harassment at school.' — Kirkus Reviews
'In a quietly suspenseful book, Swinarski shows how frequently written-off behavior can constitute sexual harassment, and how individuals can create change by having the courage to question the narrative.' — Publishers Weekly
'Both timely and, unfortunately, timeless in its depiction of systemic sexual harassment and and frustratingly inappropriate reactions from authority figures and peers. This compelling novel urges readers to consider what they might do in similar situations and reminds them that 'sometimes, fairness has to be demanded instead of waited for.'' — BookPage.com (starred review)
What begins as a look into bullying and the social politics of middle school expands into a revealing study of sexual harassment. An empowering and empathetic companion to Barbara Dee's Maybe He Just Likes You and Brigit Young's The Prettiest.' — Booklist (starred review)
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