Virtually Me by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown
Reviewed by: Jacob Roberts, Youth Services Specialist
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Suggested Age: 8-11 years
What is this book about? Virtually Me follows a group of middle school kids, post-pandemic, as they start a new school year. The group consists of Bradley, Edelle, Hunter, Jasper, and Keiko. Each of them have chosen to take a chance on the new virtual reality school in an attempt to start fresh or keep up with their reputation. As the book goes on, though, they discover it becomes harder and harder to keep their pasts a secret. Soon they learn that perhaps the people they want to be in virtual reality have been them all along.
My Review: Morris and Brown do a great job at bringing all the real hopes, fears, and anxieties of middle school to the virtual world. They use relatable text to challenge the reader to question what it means to be a good friend. They also give great examples of how to treat everybody no matter what they look like or the reputation they hold. Virtually Me highlights the great possibilities and anxious worries of what virtual reality can be when implanted into the everyday practices of our society.
Three Words that Describe this Book: Fun, timely, friendly
Give this a try if you like… Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova, Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas, Truly Tyler by Terri Libenson
Rating: 4/5
