Mixed Feelings

Mixed Feelings, Book 1

By: Sara Amini, Shadia Amin - illustrator

Through a mix of humor and heart, this charming middle grade audio memoir explores evolving friendships, puberty mishaps, and finding a place to belong. Perfect for fans of Real Friends, The New Girl, and Pizza Face.

Things are getting hairy!

What could go wrong on the first day of sixth grade?

A: You wake up with leg hair out of nowhere.

B: You have zero classes with your BFF and watch her run off with her new (annoying) friend.

C: You struggle to decide which school club to join because being mixed race makes you feel like you don't belong anywhere.

D: All of the above. SERIOUSLY?!

At first, Sara's got mixed feelings about middle school. But she finds comfort in TV—whether she's watching it, performing her favorite scenes, or imagining her life is a show itself. So when she joins drama club, Sara discovers a community where she can be anything she wants—including herself. Has Sara finally found a place to fit in? Or will she instead find herself buried under her growing leg hair and off-stage friendship drama?

In Sara Amini's semi-autobiographical story, navigating life as a mixed-race girl has never been more hilarious or heartfelt, with family, friendship, and fuzz all at the forefront of this laugh-out-loud and painfully relatable middle-school memoir.

©2026 Sara Amini (P)2026 Scholastic Audio Books

Critic reviews

★ "This semi-autobiographical graphic novel celebrates differences and shared experiences, delivering everything that young readers need right now... A wholesome, heartwarming, and authentic look at a multicultural family and community, filled with relatable struggles of puberty, changing friendships, and reminders to readers of the importance of honest communication, arts programs, and finding your people."—Booklist, starred review

"A delightful series opener that offers an ideal mix of humor and heart." Kirkus Reviews