A review by buffalojenn
True Colors by Abby Cooper

5.0

Abby Cooper has cooked up another spectacular middle grade story with a hint of magic, perfect for fans of her earlier books. Everything in Serenity, MN is serene... on the surface, at least. But things get shaken up when a documentarian comes to town and our protagonist Mackenzie's haze (you know, the way with some people, their feelings show up as a multi-colored aura around them) explodes onto other townsfolk. Oops! Cooper smartly explores the cult of toxic positivity still pervasive in the American culture as Mackenzie comes to terms with the wide range of feelings that not just she but . . . *all* of us have. This engaging story has massive appeal for upper elementary students and at just over 200 pages and with social media interstitials, it's accessible for a wide range of readers in a time when our attention spans are all a little, well, shorter than they used to be. Would make a great read-aloud or book club selection.