Families who loved Puddin' by Julie Murphy often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your teen is struggling with the pressure to fit into a specific social mold or is navigating a friendship that feels more like a rivalry. It addresses the heavy weight of body image and the labels others place on us, offering a roadmap for how to move past stereotypes to find genuine connection. The story follows Millie, a focused girl with big dreams for broadcast journalism, and Callie, a popular dancer whose life seems perfect but is actually falling apart at the seams. Through a forced interaction, these two girls from opposite ends of the social spectrum realize they have more in common than they thought. It is an empowering choice for parents of high schoolers who need to see that self-worth isn't determined by a clothing size or a social status.