From the characters, to pacing, and the story itself, Collier’s work is “just right.” While the focus is on the delightful (and very relatable) Jillian, readers get a sense of the complexity of other characters even if they appear only for brief moments (e.g. William). I also loved how the project of hatching chicks is mirrored in Jillian’s growing confidence.

Am I allowed to say this redefines "MG Chick Lit?" It is impossible to NOT be rooting for Jillian from the very first pages of this hopeful, humorous and so-human MG book. In her debut, Nicole D. Collier crafts a story that rises and falls, just like Jillian's own confidence, weaving in tangible metaphor in every chapter as her main character grows, develops and breaks out, just like the incubating eggs in her classroom. But it's the wonder she feels each time she realizes that she is not invisible and that those around her not only see her, but value her, that provides regular doses of irrepressible smiles and the occasional happy tear. "Just Right Jillian" is a wonderful book that touches on anxiety, chronic family illness, grief, friendship and it's perfect for shy students who dream of a little bit more courage in their daily lives and their classmates who might mistake shyness for desired isolation.

The smooth flow of this book allowed me to read it quickly and bond with the characters.
Though Jillian was shy, she stepped up when she was needed and put her mark on the world.
I hope this new author will continue to write for this age group.
More stories like these are needed in libraries everywhere!


Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this middle grade novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
Fifth grader Jillian is so shy and stuck in her head that others don’t often see or get to know the true Jillian. This same shy girl so desperately wants to participate in the special competition at school but struggles with her words, and even struggles with communicating her true and honest opinions to her own mother.
This is a Sweet story of a girl who learns to speak out and stand up for herself. I see kids being able to relate to this book and see Jillian as their hero.

JUST RIGHT JILLIAN is far more than just right. It's heartfelt and heart building!

Jillian is a smart, wise, and creative 5th grader. She's a kind and faithful friend who has the love and support of her family-- even though she's missing her beloved Grandmother who passed away nearly one year ago. But Jillian has also learned to stifle herself, to hold her thoughts, ideas, and desires in where no one else can hear them. It's only when her teacher encourages her (ok, more like dares her) to step out of her shell to compete in a school-wide competition that Jillian begins to pip; to peck at the shell she's kept herself encased in.

The friendships and the foeships in this story are deftly handled. I fell in love with Marquez, Jillian's best friend who is training his heart to be brave, to fight the good fight. Wisdom, loyalty and determination are his superpowers, and I'm always so thrilled to see open and wise boys in MG literature. This is a beautiful book to model and inspire kids to be compassionate and accepting- both of themselves and others.

Beautiful prose and powerful insights into Jillian's push to pip make this a strong recommendation for younger MG readers.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Versify for the opportunity to read advanced reader copies.

Jillian is a bright student who struggles with speaking up in class. As the school year progresses, she has many opportunities to keep a promise to her grandmother, who passed away, and show her confidence. It’s so easy to gain an immediate connection to Jillian as she watches the chicks grow in her classroom project and wonder if she’ll break out of her shell as they do.
I can’t wait for this book to be available to elementary and middle grades students! Nicole Collier created an amazing story with the perfect character to help children understand how it feels to be shy and the triumph of fighting to get over that demon. So often, that quiet child is pushed aside or never noticed in classrooms, but this story will help many students and teachers gain a clearer understanding of those students. So well written!

Just Right Jillian is a beautiful story about a character who readers can’t help but feel strongly for. Watching Jillian find her way and take up space after hiding and making herself smaller is such a beautiful thing. Building friendships and sharing her family’s strength and support are also meaningful parts of the story. It is sweet, endearing and empowering and should be a part of any library that touches middle grade readers.

Fifth grader Jillian has been mourning her grandmother for nearly a year. In that time she's become quiet and shy, more inclined to hide and blend in than stand out. Encouraged by both her own teacher and the upcoming one year anniversary of her grandmother's passing, Jillian agrees to participate in the school academic quiz competition. As she slowly comes out her shell, Jillian learns that some of her assumptions about fitting in and other people are mistaken and that she, as the title implies, is just right as she is

To feel all the feels for a book should tell everyone how wonderful a story is, and I'm going to be doing that with you about JUST RIGHT JILLIAN. This story has a family theme, self-confidence, acceptance, and friendship. Jillian loses a competition which she knows she can win. However, she doesn't speak out! So, she makes a promise to her grandmother about pushing herself to win the next one. The entire time during this wonderful MG story, I'm rooting for Jillian. I want her to win. I want her to get everything that she wants. She's been through so much, and as the reader, I screamed, "Go, Jillian!" There are so many tender moments in this novel. The characters are so wonderful, realistic and relatable. I see myself in them. Their hopes, dreams, determination... everything. The plot is really cute. The cover is amazing. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

Jillian is super shy and unsure of herself in spite of the fact that she has two loving parents, a stable home and friends at school. At the start of the book, Jillian is still dealing with grief from the death of her beloved grandmother the year before. She often remembers what she learned from her grandmother and hears her voice in her head. Jillian also resents the smartest girl in her class who always knows the answers and has won the school wide trivia contest, in which Jillian desperately wants to compete.
Over the course of the book, Jillian learns many things, including the fact that Rashida is actually quite a nice girl and one who becomes her friend; grief comes and goes, but the memory of those you grieve stays with you and overcoming shyness is difficult, but not impossible.
I loved the strong characters, both the children and the adults, who surround Jillian, Jillian's parents and teachers are all excellent role models as well as gainfully employed minority figures. We need more books about African American children where the problems are those that occur in middle class homes. Nice going, Nicole Collier!

This is a book about lost and finding your voice and courage after that lost. Jillian is shy and tries to blend in, Her family, friends and teacher help her find the strength.

Happy #bookbirthday in 1 year! Oh this book brought me back to my past! Jillian is an amazing kid but has trouble speaking up. It takes a school competition and a promise to her grandmother to help her show everyone who she really is inside. This is a story full of friendship and family, with good times and lots of challenges. This book will definitely resonate with kids in grades 3-6. I think Nicole Collier got her character’s voices just right! This book arrives Feb. 1, 2022. Thank you to @netgalley and @hmhkids @diversifybooks for this digital arc. @EssentialCoco

Finding friendship, your voice and overcoming grief are the themes to this book. Written in a way that speaks to middle grade students, Nicole Collier delivers a believable story with real-life angst, fear, love and self discovery.

The story of Jillian, a 5th grade girl who prefers to be unseen (or does she?), is the story of many 5th grade girls. The story isn't complicated but takes on many of the struggles of girls that age. Do people see her? Can she find herself? Does she have any friends? How can she make herself heard? With the support of her parents and a few good classmates, she answers these questions by pushing herself past her comfort zones. The author does a great job of reminding the reader that there is more to a person that what is seen on the surface.

I enjoyed this book and will definitely put it into the hands of my students.

I love this tory, especially as an elementary school teacher and mother. I have had so many shy students over the years and this book gives insight as to why some children might be shy. Jillian became even more shy after her grandmother passed away. This story is all about what life is like for her and how she finds herself. Such a great story!

Watch out world, Jillian is hatching into her own self! Debut author Nicole D. Collier does not disappoint in her debut novel about a girl who is timid. Jillian has been shy since her grandmother based away eleven months ago. Many opportunities are offered to her, but does she take them? That's for the reader to discover!
As a classroom teacher, I loved this story for its charm and relatable characters. In today's society, it is hard for children to fit in a digital learning environment. "Just Right Jillian" shows readers and students that it's okay to be who you are!

I absolutely loved this book - Jillian's been increasingly shy ever since her grandma died, and she decides to try and step out of her shell. She learns she has more friends than she thought, and with the support of her wonderful parents (some of my favorite characters in the book) she tries out for the school's knowledge competition.

What a lovely book! Its main character is likeable and relatable, and it was a pleasure to go along on her journey as she learned about confidence, loss, friendship, creativity, and, ultimately, the importance of letting others see your true self. I'm looking forward to recommending it to customers.

Remember not to count chickens before they hatch! Fifth-grade Jillian is shy—the kind of shy that twists up her insides and hides her words when she gets nervous. It has gotten worse since the death of her grandmother, an advocate whom Jillian felt could always see through to the real her. When the Mind Bender competition is announced at school, Jillian sees it as her chance to honor her grandmother’s memory—even if she is intimidated by the competition itself. Just like the eggs preparing to hatch in her classroom, Jillian must summon the strength and courage to face her fears and break out of her shell.

While it is not uncommon for people to be shy, it is not often that a protagonist in a story suffers from that same affliction. Written from Jillian’s perspective in the first person, readers get a clear view of the struggles happening inside Jillian’s own mind whenever she must speak up to others. Little by little, Jillian finds herself as the weight of the sadness from her grandmother’s passing lifts. Colloquial phrasing, familiar moments, and palpable emotions draw readers in from the first page. The narrative flows smoothly and though there is only one illustration, the dialogue and design of the story make it accessible to a wide range of middle grade readers. Using the metaphor of chicks hatching, Jillian’s story is filled with growth, discomfort, and ultimate arrival in a world outside of a shell. Anyone who is or has ever been shy will empathize with Jillian’s story and her ongoing journey to let others see her true self.

What an absolutely perfect time for JUST RIGHT JILLIAN to be making her way into the world... because the world could sure use some more Jillians right now. I’m so grateful to Nicole Collier and to Versify for the advanced review copy.

Jillian is a super smart fifth-grader who hasn’t quite broken out of her shell yet. But she’s tired of shyness holding her back and decides to train her heart to be brave. I so wish I could quote from an uncorrected proof, because this book provides inspiration on every single page. From Jillian’s class project (incubating eggs until the chicks are finally ready to break out of their own shells) to her love of weaving (handed down by her late grandmother, who inspired her to be courageous) to her friendship with the endearing and encouraging Marquez, Jillian’s story will make you want to speak up. It will make you want to be yourself. It will make you want to live your life without fear, expressing the joy and brilliance that’s inside you, just waiting to hatch.

Jillian is very quiet and insecure, even though her parents are really supportive. Her mother, who suffers from lupus, even runs empowerment workshops for women! Jillian is also still grieving for her grandmother, with whom she was very close, who passed away almost a year ago. School is especially difficult. Jillian doesn't have anyone to whom she feels close, and while she understands the importance of fitting in with the clothing and hair styles of other fifth graders (boring colors, simple hair dos, and strict adherence to an unspoken weekly schedule), she doesn't like it. Still, she is too shy to speak up. Even though she is very bright, she doesn't want to participate in the Mind Bender competition that the school holds as a review replacement for standardized testing. Since Rashida won last year, as a fourth grader, Jillian is sure that she will win again, so it's senseless for her to try. Still, she is trying to speak up more as a way to honor her grandmother's memory. Jillian also wove a lot of items with her grandmother, but hasn't worked on her craft in the last year. When she finally talks to her teacher about participating in the Mind Bender, her teacher is supportive, but lots of things get in the way. She is glad to make friends with Marquez, who sticks up for her and on whom she has a little crush, and the more she gets involved with school, the more she realizes that Rashida is actually rather nice. A bad cold causes her to do poorly in the preliminary round for the Mind Bender, although she makes the cut to go on. When her mother's lupus flares up and Jillian wants to go to the hospital with her, she misses the round before the final one. She's given the opportunity to try to get a retake, but it involves asking a lot of teachers at school if she can have a re-do. Will Jillian be able to channel her grandmother's enthusiasm and outspoken qualities in order to try for something she really wants?
Strengths: My favorite part of this was the coping strategies Jillian uses when she feels out of control in the situation. Biting the back of her tongue in order to be still, using a "neutral face" when things are uncomfortable; these are helpful for just about everyone. It's good to see depictions of children missing grandparents, since that's an unfortunate loss that many students face. I was also glad to see a classroom that was very interested in academics, where the most accomplished student is also the most popular. Young readers will be amused by Jillian's different fashions, and interested in all of the different things she does with her hair. While Jillian is a very anxious character, she is really trying to work in a positive direction, and utilizing solid coping skills.
Weaknesses: It seems unlikely that a school would be able to opt out of standardized testing, and even more unlikely that Jillian's teacher would make her ask all the other teachers for special permission to re do the Mind Bender qualifying round. Of course, I don't work in an elementary school, but I can't see this happening in middle school. Young readers will not be bothered by this.
What I really think: Just Right Jillian reminds me a lot of Allen's Mya Tibbs, if Mya had an anxiety disorder. Same supportive family, same quirky sense of fashion, and same desire to get things done. This is another good series for elementary schools, like Draper's Sassy, Brown's Lola Levine, and Barrows' Ivy and Bean.