Claremont, California, fifth grader Susie B. learns something about heroes, justice, passion, and friendship during the course of a school project and student election. Susie's epistolary account is addressed to the subject of her Hero Project. Susan B. Anthony seems an excellent choice, at first. Narrator Susie is energetic, breathless, enthusiastic, and genuinely, charmingly funny. She attributes her challenges with attention and the difficulty she had learning to read to her "butterfly brain." Susie and her family are White, and she has an older, biracial half brother, Lock, from her mother's first marriage to a Black man. Lock had similar issues with focus at her age, and he and Susie's parents are loving and supportive. Susie plans to run for school president because of the opportunity to use the microphone at school assemblies, tell people what to do, and possibly advocate for polar bears and other important causes. Susie struggles with understanding social cues and also wrestles with her outrage after learning about Anthony's betrayal of Black suffragists. When Susie's best friend, Joselyn, pulls away and the election campaign seems to demand that she set aside her true self, she describes the disorientation as feeling like being in Oppositeland. Her account of her unhappiness manages to be both moving and humorous, and her determined striving for justice serves her well. Joselyn is Guatemalan American; their classmates' names signal ethnic diversity. Engaging. (Fiction. 8-11) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 4--6--A sassy, no-nonsense epistolary novel about a girl who knows her own mind and isn't afraid to share her opinions. Fifth grader Susie B. chooses Susan B. Anthony for her Hero Project because she believes her to be a "brave and determined defender of women's rights." The Hero Project involves writing directly to her hero in a journal, and consequently readers learn about Susan B. Anthony's life through Susie B.'s musings. When Susie decides to run for student council president against the "usual geniuses" (the kids she believes the teachers think are perfect), much fifth-grade drama ensues, most caused by Susie herself. Susie and her peers share a realization as they learn more about their heroes--that all people have flaws despite their achievements. Susie B. comes to terms with the reality of Susan B. Anthony, the student council election, and friendship issues in ways realistic and appropriate for a fifth grader. VERDICT This novel is perfect for discussions in small groups or a classroom setting and will join the ranks of other great realistic fiction books like Alesha Dixon's Lightning Girl, and Holly Goldberg Sloan's Counting by 7s. A must-have for any middle grade collection.--Kim Gardner, Fort Worth Country Day Sch., TX