According to Plan

Gr 9 Up–Mal (not Mallory) is dependent on having a proper noun Plan to keep their life on track and their ADHD in check. The Plan for senior year involves being the editor of their school’s lit mag Collage, ­graduating, following their sister Maddie to college, and leaving their small town. However, the Plan begins crumbling immediately when it’s announced that Collage is canceled due to budget cuts. Suddenly everything is Too Much. Mal reaches out to Emerson, ­another former member, in a desperate attempt to brainstorm ways to move the ­project forward outside of the school. Emerson is loud to Mal’s quiet, Post-it note piles to their meticulous lists. The two meet in the back room of the Haus, a funky mixed-use community coffee shop. It’s in that room that a zine is born—a zine that allows them more flexibility than Collage ever did. And it’s in that room, filled with Pop-Tarts crumbs and discarded furniture, that Mal finds community, purpose, and love. Randall (The ­No-Girlfriend Rule) offers a thoughtful and empowering portrayal of neurodivergent Mal, centering on their quiet, but meaningful, journey of self-discovery. Perfect for autistic, ADHD teens, or list-making overachievers, it captures the slow, steady growth of a character learning who they are beyond their own and ­others’ expectations. S­tepping in to one’s own isn’t always easy, linear, or clean, and Mal’s journey mirrors that ­authenticity. Characters are white, and Mal is queer.