Karma Khullar's Mustache (edició 2017)

On the eve of 6th grade, Kharma sprouts 17 hairs on her upper lip. Mortified and afraid to ask her stay-at-home dad for help, she is teased and soon finds herself on the outs. The nickname 'Stache sticks and her former best friend starts spending time with the new cool girl from California. Will Kharma figure out how to get rid of her facial hair? Who will Kharma hang out with? Will 6th grade be the worst year yet or will Kharma figure out how to make lemonade out of lemons? ( )

A true "challenges of starting middle school" novel: best friends no longer being best friends, middle school bullying, mean girls, mean boys, cultural insensitivities, misunderstandings, embarrassing parents and, to top it off, puberty. The main character, Karma, suffers, but draws strength from the life lessons of her recently deceased paternal grandmother, Dadima. My only negative comment is that I wished it had shown the emotional bullying going on was punished/stopped/addressed more strongly by the school. ( )