Kiara Fights Back

by Marilyn Kaye

Overview

A secret bully and a chance to bring him to justice. Can Kiara and the Spyglass Sisterhood deliver?

Kiara, traditionally a loner, doesn't hesitate to say exactly what's on her mind. But she's found good friends among the Spyglass Sisterhood members who appreciate her keen observations and incredible smarts.

When a fellow classmate starts to get bullied online, Kiara is determined not only to find the perpetrator(s), but also to bring them to justice. To do that, she'll need help from her friends and from the Sisterhood's magical spyglass to gather evidence and put the pieces together.

The best-selling author behind the Gifted series and the Replica books, Marilyn Kaye delivers a story filled with light magic and heart in this third book in the Spyglass Sisterhood series. Centered on four best friends--Ellie, Kiara, Rachel, and Alyssa--and a magic spyglass that reveals people's feelings, the Spyglass Sisterhood series mixes classic friendship themes with fresh conversations on community and responsibility. Each girl takes a turn at the spyglass, confronting fears and sticking up for her peers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823450312
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	04/26/2022
Series:	The Spyglass Sisterhood , #3
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Marilyn Kaye is the author of over 100 books for young readers, including the Gifted and Replica series. Born in New Britain, Connecticut, she grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. She earned a master's degree in library science at Emory University and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Chicago. Kaye also taught children's literature at St. John's University for over twenty years. She lives in Paris, France.

Editorial Reviews

08/01/2022

Gr 3–7—Kiara and her three best friends take on a bully in this latest installment of the "Spyglass Sisterhood." With the help of their magic spyglass that offers visions and provides insight into someone's feelings, the girls track down a cyberbully who's tageting classmates. Kiara, typically a loner who has trouble understanding social norms, narrates this story in a slightly detached and judgemental way that matches her personality and worldview, for which she is unapologetic. That said, she does make an effort to be more understanding of other people's feelings and less literal. With the help of her father, her friends, and several classmates, Kiara uses her knowledge of courtroom dramas to host a trial for the bully in question. VERDICT Young readers who enjoy low-stakes realistic fiction and friendship drama with just a touch of magic will appreciate this entry.

School Library Journal

2022-04-13
A middle schooler takes a stand for victims of cyberbullying.

This latest in the Spyglass Sisterhood series, whose installments each follow a member of a group of friends who use a magical spyglass to see visions of what might be, focuses on Kiara. Kiara has trouble discerning others’ intent and reading body language, and though the book doesn’t explicitly refer to her as neurodivergent, she is often referred to as “different.” Following a suspension from her old school, where she was bullied, Kiara, her father, and her aunt Molly move to Lakeside for a fresh start. There, she befriends Alyssa, Ellie, and Rachel, the other members of the Spyglass Sisterhood. Through the spyglass in the turret at Ellie’s house, the girls see classmate Jim Berger being beaten up on the playground. As they learn that Jim and other students are being bullied online, they take action. The book moves slowly toward a somewhat predictable resolution, and characterization is superficial. Early in the book, Kiara describes Rachel, a White-presenting Latinx girl, as “seriously white” and “the prettiest of us”—“us” being Kiara, who is Black; Alyssa, who is South Asian; and Ellie, who is White. This unfortunate choice of words seems to reinforce the idea that beauty is synonymous with Whiteness.

A lukewarm read. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews