"A fun, thoughtful story about making friends and adjusting to change." - Kirkus Review An excellent pick for caregivers and librarians supporting tweens through transitions. Perfect for readers transitioning from graphic novels and beginner chapter books. A new town. A new school. A missing journal. And maybe… new friends. Twelve-year-old Avery isn't ready to leave her old neighborhood, her friends, or everything familiar. But now she's starting over at Kentland Junior High, and she's nervous, especially about making new friends. When Avery's journal, filled with her private thoughts and biggest fears, goes missing, it feels like the worst thing that could happen. Until she meets Skylar, Damien, Natalie, and Christopher, and together, they search for the missing journal. Along the way, Avery begins to find her place, and they each discover that good things can come from scary places. The Independents delivers a warm, relatable middle-grade story about friendship, change, and the courage it takes to find your way, in less than 200 pages. "Jones' book, featuring occasional grayscale illustrations by Shipman, is a delightfully entertaining story that explores friendship and family dynamics." - Kirkus Review Antoinette is a writer driven by a sincere desire to enrich the lives of young people through storytelling. Growing up, she found joy and adventure between the pages of books and wants to provide that experience for her readers.