“Terry, who herself lives with Tourette’s syndrome, movingly draws from her own experience as she describes Callie’s experiences and behaviors. Her poetic explorations of Calliope’s anxiety and Jinsong’s moral struggles are honest and moving.” - Publishers Weekly T erry, who has Tourette syndrome herself, offers enormous insight into an often-misunderstood condition, writing in verse for Calliope’s chapters and prose for Jinsong’s. “Terry’s debut novel thoughtfully traces the fragile emotions of two seventh graders: Calliope, a girl painfully self-conscious about having Tourette syndrome, and Jinsong, a popular boy she meets in her new town. Partially in verse and partially in prose with two intertwined points of view, Ellie Terry's affecting debut will speak to a wide audience about being true to oneself. But is he brave enough to take their friendship public?Īs Calliope navigates school, she must also face her mother's new relationship and the fact that they might be moving-again-just as she starts to make friends and finally accept her differences. Only Calliope's neighbor, who is also the popular student body president, sees her as she truly is-an interesting person and a good friend. But it isn't long before the kids at her new school realize she's different. When she and her mother move yet again, she tries to hide her TS. A girl tries to hide her quirks at a new school in this middle-grade novel from debut author Ellie Terry.Īstronomy-loving Calliope June has Tourette syndrome, so she sometimes makes faces or noises that she doesn't mean to make.

Ellie terry books