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Playing for Keeps
A girl starts to like-like her best friend and feel jealous of the girl he’s hanging out with in this book in the new tween middle grade rom-com Spotlight Sprinkles series!
Although she’s bummed that summer is over, Aaliyah is excited for school to start. She hasn’t seen her best friend, Travis, all summer! But when they reunite, Travis looks different—taller and…kind of cute.
It’s different spending time with him too because now all he talks about is soccer! And he’s been hanging out with Harlee like a lot. And she’s much prettier and cooler than Aaliyah. Can Aaliyah get her best friend back? And does she maybe like him as more than a friend?
Although she’s bummed that summer is over, Aaliyah is excited for school to start. She hasn’t seen her best friend, Travis, all summer! But when they reunite, Travis looks different—taller and…kind of cute.
It’s different spending time with him too because now all he talks about is soccer! And he’s been hanging out with Harlee like a lot. And she’s much prettier and cooler than Aaliyah. Can Aaliyah get her best friend back? And does she maybe like him as more than a friend?
160 pages, Hardcover
Published August 26, 2025
4 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 27, 2025
Aaliyah hasn't seen her best friend Travis all summer between their various camps and trips, but he's changed when they come back for seventh grade. Aaliyah is surprised to discover that Travis has become taller, cuter, and popular. She's not sure where she fits in as his friend now and finds herself jealous of the girl he's spending time with. This book will be perfectly satisfying to its audience as it's a light and quick (160 pages!) upper middle grade rom-com full of crushes and misunderstandings. This will be a hit on the shelves of my classroom library for sure.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Spotlight for the digital ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Spotlight for the digital ARC.
May 18, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Aaliyah is starting 7th grade at Glen Creek Middle School, but hasn't heard from her long time best friend Travis for a while. She's surprised to find that he's grown seven inches, gotten muscles, and become a topic of conversation among the other girls at school, who all think he is cute. This includes popular soccer star Harlee, who is apparently "going out" with him. Even Aaliyah gets a little flustered when talking to him now. Travis is a soccer star, and all of Aaliyah's friends, including Emma, seem to be involved in a sport or activity, while she just plays piano on her own, since she is too shy to play in public. Aaliyah feels like she is "popular, but not uber popular", and fairly happy with her life, but is discombobulated without her best friend. Due to some misunderstandings, she thinks he is acting like a jerk, and she doesn't appreciate having to give Harlee information about his favorite color. The two eventually talk, and Travis tells her that an 8th grader on his soccer team, Zac, would like to take her to the Harvest Dance. This is a problem, because Emma has a crush on Zac. Travis and Harlee are in the same homeroom with Aaliyah, and Mr. Paulson has assigned them all a short "getting to know you" project. Aaliyah's involves a lot of pictures of Travis, and in putting it together, she realizes how much he means to her. She learns a lot about her classmates during these presentations, including the fact that Harlee lives with her wealthy but disinterested grandparents, and is being raised largely by nannies. Aaliyah is motivated by an insistent and somewhat geeky 6th grader, Connor, to perform a piano and clarinet duet at the school recital, and she gets a lot of compliments on her playing, even though performing in public is outside her comfort zone. Eventually, she and Travis are comfortable enough in their 7th grade lives that Travis asks Aaliyah to the dance, and she accepts.
Strengths: It was such fun to watch Aaliyah struggle with very realistic problems, like possibly losing a best friend, dealing with drama, struggling with school work, and thinking that she doesn't have any special talents or skills, when she is an excellent piano player! My favorite character might well have been the well spoken and precocious Connor; I have to admit that I sort of hoped that he and Aaliyah would break conventions and go to the dance together! There are fun descriptions of fashions that won't necessarily go out of style, but which add some depth to the characters. Clothing is communication! There's even an episode of babysitting, which I wish we would see more in books, but which I understand is not something that tweens do as much of now. This is a great length, has a fabulous cover (the three books together will look AWESOME on display), and is a fun, fast paced read. If I had the budget, I would buy two copies of this.
Weaknesses: Are there schools that have middle school exchange students? Not sure. Although my school certainly has a homeroom that it too long; perhaps I should assign a similar project to my advisory students next year.
What I really think: If your students really like Nelson's Cake Pop Crush, Darling's Crush books (which still circulate well after 12 years!), Dalton's Pulled Under, or Miller's Not If You Break Up With Me First, this is an essential purchase. It's also a book that adults who are recommending titles to young readers should read right now; the Newbery titles are all well and good, but if you want to hook reluctant readers, THIS is a title that will do it, not The Eyes and the Impossible.
I think as adults we forget about what thoughts REALLY fill up tweens heads, because we are not tweens anymore, and our own heads are filled with things like "What's for dinner?" and "How will tariffs affect my Roth IRA?", and, apparently, a lot of concern about everyone around us dying. For tweens, I think a lot of their mental effort goes into friendships, because that really defines who they are. For older middle school students, the idea of romance figures very strongly, and when this plays out in reality, can be very volatile. "Going out" with someone can take weeks of lead time, relationships are often short lived, and break ups are often messy and involve changes to friendships as well.
Oddly, there are relatively few books that deal with this, which is why I was so glad to see this new Spotlight Sprinkles series by Lee Heart that includes Meet Me at Sunset and Written in the Stars. I would have devoured these when I was in middle school.
Aaliyah is starting 7th grade at Glen Creek Middle School, but hasn't heard from her long time best friend Travis for a while. She's surprised to find that he's grown seven inches, gotten muscles, and become a topic of conversation among the other girls at school, who all think he is cute. This includes popular soccer star Harlee, who is apparently "going out" with him. Even Aaliyah gets a little flustered when talking to him now. Travis is a soccer star, and all of Aaliyah's friends, including Emma, seem to be involved in a sport or activity, while she just plays piano on her own, since she is too shy to play in public. Aaliyah feels like she is "popular, but not uber popular", and fairly happy with her life, but is discombobulated without her best friend. Due to some misunderstandings, she thinks he is acting like a jerk, and she doesn't appreciate having to give Harlee information about his favorite color. The two eventually talk, and Travis tells her that an 8th grader on his soccer team, Zac, would like to take her to the Harvest Dance. This is a problem, because Emma has a crush on Zac. Travis and Harlee are in the same homeroom with Aaliyah, and Mr. Paulson has assigned them all a short "getting to know you" project. Aaliyah's involves a lot of pictures of Travis, and in putting it together, she realizes how much he means to her. She learns a lot about her classmates during these presentations, including the fact that Harlee lives with her wealthy but disinterested grandparents, and is being raised largely by nannies. Aaliyah is motivated by an insistent and somewhat geeky 6th grader, Connor, to perform a piano and clarinet duet at the school recital, and she gets a lot of compliments on her playing, even though performing in public is outside her comfort zone. Eventually, she and Travis are comfortable enough in their 7th grade lives that Travis asks Aaliyah to the dance, and she accepts.
Strengths: It was such fun to watch Aaliyah struggle with very realistic problems, like possibly losing a best friend, dealing with drama, struggling with school work, and thinking that she doesn't have any special talents or skills, when she is an excellent piano player! My favorite character might well have been the well spoken and precocious Connor; I have to admit that I sort of hoped that he and Aaliyah would break conventions and go to the dance together! There are fun descriptions of fashions that won't necessarily go out of style, but which add some depth to the characters. Clothing is communication! There's even an episode of babysitting, which I wish we would see more in books, but which I understand is not something that tweens do as much of now. This is a great length, has a fabulous cover (the three books together will look AWESOME on display), and is a fun, fast paced read. If I had the budget, I would buy two copies of this.
Weaknesses: Are there schools that have middle school exchange students? Not sure. Although my school certainly has a homeroom that it too long; perhaps I should assign a similar project to my advisory students next year.
What I really think: If your students really like Nelson's Cake Pop Crush, Darling's Crush books (which still circulate well after 12 years!), Dalton's Pulled Under, or Miller's Not If You Break Up With Me First, this is an essential purchase. It's also a book that adults who are recommending titles to young readers should read right now; the Newbery titles are all well and good, but if you want to hook reluctant readers, THIS is a title that will do it, not The Eyes and the Impossible.
I think as adults we forget about what thoughts REALLY fill up tweens heads, because we are not tweens anymore, and our own heads are filled with things like "What's for dinner?" and "How will tariffs affect my Roth IRA?", and, apparently, a lot of concern about everyone around us dying. For tweens, I think a lot of their mental effort goes into friendships, because that really defines who they are. For older middle school students, the idea of romance figures very strongly, and when this plays out in reality, can be very volatile. "Going out" with someone can take weeks of lead time, relationships are often short lived, and break ups are often messy and involve changes to friendships as well.
Oddly, there are relatively few books that deal with this, which is why I was so glad to see this new Spotlight Sprinkles series by Lee Heart that includes Meet Me at Sunset and Written in the Stars. I would have devoured these when I was in middle school.
September 4, 2025
This story was AMAZING! I had so much fun, so entertaining, I truly NEVER got bored. I will be purchasing to add to my shelf, such a beautiful story. I really felt for Aliyah because as a woman, sometimes it’s super easy to quickly overthink & assume. I love how Travis was always such a sweetheart to her nonetheless. I found myself just hoping her in Travis would bump into each other every chapter lol. Emma left me feel eh with her, like what kind of friend are you?? I really enjoyed this story & will purchase more of Lee Hearts books.
Thank you NetGalley for the Arc & Lee Heart for giving me the opportunity to read this Arc.
Thank you NetGalley for the Arc & Lee Heart for giving me the opportunity to read this Arc.
December 18, 2025
Travis I a CUTIE
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ good middle school book that teaches important lessons about relationships: honesty, assuming good intentions, etc.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews