Fitting In Isn't Easy by Devonia Reed is a cute story for young readers that touches on topics like bullying and making friends at a new school. Kayden is excited for the start of third grade, but when a new girl starts at school, no one likes her. She looks different than the other students, for one, with her hair in cornrows and old ratty shoes that the other students think are gross. She smells like urine (because her younger brother wets the bed) and the other students call her "pee-pee girl" behind her back. Kayden doesn't think it is right to make fun of Michelle and she wants to include the new girl in some of the school's activities, but her old friends don't like Michelle and don't see why they have to be nice to her. Kayden is torn between doing the right thing and keeping her mouth shut so her old friends will still like her and want to sit with her.

This is a cute story that showcases topics that young readers should be aware of and may already have experienced. It is a nice way to bring the topics of bullying, class, cleanliness, and friendship into a conversation with young readers. Parents and educators will appreciate this text and the goals that it accomplishes. And readers will like the clever story, the fun characters, and the way the story resolves itself at the end, giving them a clear example of how they could act in a similar situation.

Kayden Morgan lives a comfortable life with her parents and little brother, Jeremiah, in Devonia Reed’s Fitting In Isn’t Easy. All summer she has been eagerly waiting to begin the third grade. Kayden fits nicely in after only a month into the school year. Everything is going well--she has a wonderful teacher and a group of friends to call her own. But, when Michelle Randolph joins her class as a new student at the school, Kayden must make the choice to forsake the reputation she has secured for herself to befriend an outcast or stand by as Michelle continues to be taunted for her derelict appearance. As Kayden learns of the reason for Michelle’s squalid look, Kayden must take courage to overcome her fears of aspersion by her classmates in order to do what is right.

Devonia Reed’s Fitting In Isn’t Easy serves as a practical lesson on accepting those who diverge from the standard norm, one that teachers and parents can impart to their students and children. The questions included at the end of the book can be asked to direct and facilitate reflection on the deeper aspects of the text, as well as to cultivate critical analysis. So, whether just beginning school or beginning one’s third year, Reed’s short story is effective and relatable to the experiences which children are bound to encounter when in school and later on in life. The ideas are pared down into digestible nuggets in the form of an instructional, moralistic tale imperative for all students of life to master in their formative years.