%20(1).png)
Middle Grade Sidekick Super Review: Right Back at You (2025) by Carolyn Mackler
- Nov 13, 2025
- 6 min read
The Basics
Page Length: 240
Audiobook Length: ~4 hours
Reading grade Level: 4+
Target Audience Age: 9-12
Goodreads Score: 4.24 out of 5
Buy it HERE
Setting: New York 2023, Pennsylvania 1987
Genre: Middle Grade, Epistolary, Realistic Fiction (with a time travel element)
Topics: Time Travel, Pen Pals, Bullying, Antisemitism, Holocaust
Plot: Mason lives in New York City in 2023. He’s twelve years old and he loves baseball—or at least, he did before his dad up and left. Now, he can’t stand anything that reminds him of his father—including the unopened present still sitting in an Amazon box at the bottom of his closet.
When his therapist assigns him to write a letter expressing his feelings, Mason decides to write to one of his heroes: Albert Einstein. Frustrated, he crumples the letter and tosses it beside the box in his closet. But the next day, he’s shocked to find the letter gone—and in its place, a new one from a girl he’s never met.
Her name is Talia, a twelve-year-old Jewish girl living in Pennsylvania… in 1987. She found Mason’s letter hidden under a pile of sweatshirts in her own closet.
Through the mysterious, time-traveling connection between their closets, Mason and Talia begin to write to each other. They become unexpected confidants—helping one another navigate problems with parents, siblings, friendships, and, for Talia, antisemitic bullies at school.
As their friendship deepens, they begin to suspect they might be connected in a surprising way. Across forty years of time, they discover that some things never change—and that sometimes, the friend you need most might be waiting for you on the other side of a letter.
Themes: Empathy, challenging prejudiced authority figures, learning from the past, the power of self reflection
You might like this book if you like:
Baseball
Writing letters or journaling
Books like When You Reach Me, Save Me a Seat, The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle
The books/movies Wonder, Wonderstruck, and Bridge to Terabithia
Movies like See You Yesterday or The Sandlot
TV shows like Diary of a Future President, Malcom in the Middle, and Andi Mack
Other books written by this author: Not If I Can Help It, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, Infinite in Between
Teaching Right Back at You in Class
Content
Language: none
Sex/Romance: none
Violence/Scariness: a character's mother is a Holocaust survivor. She briefly talks about her experience and the loss of her family
Drinking/Smoking/Drugs: one character's mom struggles with alcoholism. It is discussed quite a bit between the two protagonists
Class Novel-ability: This novel screams full-class read. It offers something for everyone and has enormous engagement potential. It’s also a beautiful example of windows and mirrors—students will see themselves reflected in the characters, but they will also gain insight into experiences different from their own, fostering empathy and compassion. I would definitely include this book on my list of teachable YA novels for a full-class unit.
If your curriculum doesn’t have the flexibility or room for a new full-class novel integration, this would be an excellent choice for a literature circle or book club unit. Because of its themes surrounding antisemitism, it could also be paired with another book from a Holocaust or World War II unit.
The Star Qualities
This is an epistolary novel—every chapter is a letter written between the two protagonist pen pals. It feels incredibly personal, casual, and relatable for middle-grade students, which gives the book so much charm. The voice and the town are funny and lighthearted, while still addressing tough subjects. It strikes the perfect balance to keep students engaged while also offering rich opportunities for learning. The unique letter format also provides excellent material for writing lessons.
One protagonist is a girl and the other a boy, which allows many students to see themselves reflected in the story. The book covers a wide range of relatable topics—mean girls, bullies, puberty, parental separation, parents with addictions, sibling struggles, moving and starting over, and friendship challenges. The two protagonists also provide a compelling dynamic: one is nervous about facing challenges, while the other is bold, outspoken, and fearless, always saying what’s on her mind and drawing attention for better or worse. Through their friendship, he learns to speak up and assert himself, and she learns to forgive and repair relationships.
One of the central themes of the book is antisemitism, which remains a relevant and important topic today. This book helps students understand these issues in a way that is age-appropriate and meaningful.
Book Talk Read Aloud Section
If you have the physical book, read chapter 1 (pages 1-4).
If you don't, read pages1-4 in the Kindle reading sample here.
If you've got time, show your students this show video book trailer from Scholastic here.
"Reading Like a Writer" Mentor Texts
This is SUCH a strong passage that displays voice, and the structure plays a huge role in that. The paragraph breaks, the all caps, the ellipses, and the humor all work together beautifully. There’s so much here for students to grasp. Writing with voice is one of the hardest things to do—and to teach—but this passage could really help!
This one is so good! I’d love to see how students imitate it. The list structure is fun, the humor really shines, and it’s another great example of strong voice.
This is the very first page of the book, and it really sets the tone. Students can immediately see the letter-writing structure of the novel, and I love the conversational feel and mood of the writing. I especially love the way the narrator describes himself—this would really help students write strong characterization passages. The humor and self-awareness the narrator uses offer so much for students to learn from.
Sentences for Combining and Imitation
Sentence sets for combining:
"Barb’s hair was a swirly puff of white, like cotton candy without the pink dye. Her face was so wrinkled it reminded me of a grape left in the sun." (Right Back at You, p. 3)
Barb's hair was a swirly puff.
The puff was white.
It was like cotton candy.
It was like cotton candy without the pink dye.
"I passed her my pencil with the fuzzy topper that looks like Albert Einstein’s hair." (p. 31)
I passed her my pencil.
It was my pencil with the topper.
The topper was fuzzy.
It looked like Albert Einstein's hair.
"I could see buds on trees, blades of grass on lawns, even the writing under the golden arches that said 'Over 65 Billion Served.'" (p. 163)
I could see buds on trees.
I could see blades of grass on lawns.
I could see the writing under the golden arches.
The writing said "Over 65 Billion Served."
Sentences for Imitation:
"On the plus side--and I hope this doesn't sound weird--if you're writing me from 2023, I guess that means there hasn't been a nuclear war that has destroyed the planet." (p. 64)
I love the humor in this one, and it's also a great example of how to use an em-dash.
"For the rest of the day, I didn't smile at all . . . and I usually smile a lot. At dinner, I pushed my lasagna around on my plate . . . and lasagna is my favorite meal." (p. 49)
This is two sentences, but I love all the things they offer. I love the craft in this passage—the repetition, the ellipses, and the way it reveals the narrator’s feelings without ever stating them directly. It’s fun, too! I think students would enjoy imitating this style, and it will be great to share in class.
"To answer your question, Steele gets away with being mean because he can. Because he’s popular and I’m a loser. Because his dad is here and my dad is gone. Because no one stops him. Because people laugh at his jokes." (p. 37)
This passage works like a mini mentor text. I love the repetition, and I think kids will really relate to the ideas in these sentences—making it easier for them to imitate.
"I know it feels like adults can’t stop mean kids. But we have to keep making noise. Hopefully someone someday will finally hear us." (p. 191)
There isn’t much structure or craft to imitate here, but I really like the messages within the sentences. I’d be curious to see how students respond if they try imitating these ideas.
Used this book in your classroom? Tell us how in the comments!
Want to be updated when our next book review comes out? Subscribe here for weekly posts featuring fresh book reviews with brand-new sentences and passages. Your inbox’s new favorite destination for new YA reading and writing inspiration!
Comments