Hazel Hill is Gonna Win This One

Twelve-year-old Hazel Hill doesn’t have any friends, but she knows Tyler Harris really well. Every morning he tells her how annoying his mum is and which girl he has a crush on this time. He’s never asked if she wants to know his every feeling, but simply unloads on her. Then one day he tells her that Ella Quinn has a crush on her. And when Ella Quinn sits next to her on the bus, Hazel doesn’t know what to think.

Only it turns out that Ella Quinn said that to Tyler to stop his unwanted attention. And he’s been harassing her online, albeit anonymously. Hazel is outraged on her new friend’s behalf, and determined to stop him. But how can their voices be heard when Tyler is the golden boy at school?

This novel is a call to children to speak out against bullying and harassment from their peers. The girls’ friendship is inspirational – they instinctively believe, accept and defend each other – even while Hazel is nervous about making friends. Her anxiety is portrayed realistically and with great empathy, while the fact that she likes girls is merely part of who she is. A stirring read.