He's known as the class troublemaker. She's known as the bookworm. But when every note they send is anonymous, identity is suddenly what they make it. Between her father's posting overseas and her best friend Sienna's move to the other side of the country, seventh grade is looking lonely for Jane MacDonald. But Sienna has left her with one last trick: a hidden message in a library book―the perfect plot to start a secret club and find Jane a new book-loving friend. Tyson Flamand has problems of his own. Since the fourth grade he's had a reputation as a bad kid, and there's no point fighting it when teachers always think the worst. So when he finds an anonymous note in the library looking for a nerdy new friend, he knows he's the last person in the world it could be meant for. But something makes him answer it anyway, and Tyson finds himself pulled into a secret book club where being hidden may be the first step to being truly seen. With the insight of a veteran middle-school teacher, Colleen Nelson, author of the award-winning Harvey Comes Home and Sadia , weaves together two stories of identity, expectation, and the courage to challenge both. As their paths move ever closer, Jane and Tyson both discover their own self-reliance and their ability to overcome obstacles that seemed insurmountable. Praise for The Undercover Book List 2023-2024 Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award Nominee 2023 OLA Forest of Reading Silver Birch Fiction Award Winner 2022 Diamond Willow Finalist 2022 IODE Violet Downey Book Award shortlist 2022 High Plains Book Award Finalist 2021 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award Finalist 2023 Rocky Mountain Book Award Finalist 2023 Manitoba Book Awards McNally Robinson Book for Young People (Older Category) Shortlist 2023/24 Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award Nominee 2023 Children’s Book Council Spring Showcase: Spring Into a New You Selection 2021 CBC Books “the best Canadian middle-grade and YA books of 2021” Selection 2021 CBC Books "35 Canadian middle-grade books to watch for in fall 2021" Selection 2021 49th Shelf "Books for Back to School" Selection 2022 The Children’s Book Council “November: Hot Off the Press” feature 2021 CTV Morning "10 Kids Books for Back to School" Selection 2021 Kids Lit Six Book of the Week 2022 CCBC Spring Best Books for Kids & Teens Selection 2022 Winnipeg Free Press "Summer Reading Challenge for Kids" Selection “Told in alternating chapters from the perspectives of seventh graders Jane and Tyson, this story unfolds with clever aplomb...A well-plotted, well-written story that will engage readers and encourage nonreaders.”―Kirkus Reviews “Nelson, a Canadian author, offers an appealing dual narrative that switches, chapter by chapter, between the two very different classmates’ points of view. The writing is straightforward but lively...[A] rewarding middle-grade novel.”―Booklist “In the diverse novel The Undercover Book List , two classmates overcome their initial antagonism to find commonalities, which lead them to unexpected solidarity.”―Foreword Reviews “Featuring the duo’s interspersed missives, the narrative explores what it means to be accurately perceived, by both others and oneself, while simultaneously serving as a satisfying love letter to Louis Sachar, Rebecca Stead, Jacqueline Woodson, and other cherished authors, and emphasizing books’ transformative power.”―Publishers Weekly “ The Undercover Book List will resonate with children who feel unseen, who dream of a friend who understands them, or who are figuring out what kind of person to be. It’s an absorbing, entertaining, and sensitive story that champions reading and the love of books.”―Quill & Quire “This is a great story to read with your class, not only because of the numerous curriculum connections that can be made, but also because of the connection that the students can make to the experiences of Jane, Tyson, and the secondary characters. Told in the alternating voices of Jane and Tyson, this novel is suitable for students in grades 4 to 8 as either a read-aloud or small-group, student-led reading.”―ETFO Voice “This is every mother's dream situation! Confiscate your kid's game box and have him turn to reading as a compensation? Wow!...Give The Undercover Book List to a reader and open up a whole new bunch of possible authors to be enjoyed or give it to a non-reader and see what happens. You might be surprised!”―CM Magazine “With emotional depth and sensitivity, Colleen Nelson captures the struggles and uncertainties that both of her protagonists wrestle with....The story is accessible and engaging, an insightful exploration of being open to new experiences and to the wonders of self-discovery. It is also a heartfelt celebration of the power of books to heal and to bring people together.”―Canadian Children’s Book News “Told in alternating chapters from each main character’s perspective, The Undercover Book List is a treat for book lovers as it recommends titles such