What This Book Is About
Mila knows something is wrong, but she can't quite name it. It starts small—a boy in her class puts his arm around her shoulders. Another touches her hair. A third "accidentally" bumps into her in the hallway. Each incident alone seems minor, the kind of thing adults dismiss with "maybe he just likes you." But the touches keep coming, the boys keep laughing, and Mila's discomfort grows into something she can no longer ignore.
When Mila finally speaks up, the reactions are mixed. Some friends support her. Others accuse her of overreacting. Adults struggle with how to respond—is it bullying? Harassment? Boys being boys? Barbara Dee writes with precision about the gray zone between friendly teasing and sexual harassment, a space that middle schoolers navigate every day but rarely see reflected in their books. Mila's journey from confusion to anger to empowerment is told with warmth and honesty, and the novel's resolution is realistic rather than neat—because in real life, these situations rarely have clean endings.
Available at Popular bookstores, Kinokuniya, and the Singapore National Library.
Why We Recommend This Book
Maybe He Just Likes You addresses a topic that is both urgent and underrepresented in middle-grade literature: the physical boundaries that adolescents must learn to set and respect. For UWC, which takes safeguarding and consent education seriously, this novel provides a literary framework for conversations that are essential but often awkward to initiate.
The book validates students' feelings that "small" violations matter—that you don't have to wait for something dramatic to happen before you speak up. For a school community learning to navigate diverse cultural norms around physical contact and personal space, Mila's story is both a mirror and a model.
Reading Level Guide
Too challenging at A2. Build up with A2 readers like Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Magic Tree House first.
Perfect difficulty. Challenging enough to grow, accessible enough to enjoy.
Comfortable read at B2+. A good warm-up or enjoyable read between more challenging books.
Other UWC Recommended Books for This Grade
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