The Things We Miss - by Leah Stecher (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"Magical and heartbreaking! You will read this book in one gulp." - Jennifer L. Holm, New York Times-bestselling author of The Fourteenth Goldfish

When You Reach Me meets Starfish in this heartfelt contemporary middle grade about a misfit girl who finds a way to skip all of the hard parts of life.

J.P. Green has always felt out of step. She doesn't wear the right clothes, she doesn't say the right things, and her body...well, she'd rather not talk about it. And seventh grade is shaping up to be the worst year yet. So when J.P. discovers a mysterious door in her neighbor's treehouse, she doesn't hesitate before walking through. The door sends her three days forward in time.

Suddenly, J.P. can skip all the worst parts of seventh grade: Fitness tests in P.E., oral book reports, awkward conversations with her mom...she can avoid them all and no one even knows she was gone.

But can you live a life without any of the bad parts? Are there experiences out there that you can't miss?

This moving middle grade novel about mental health, body acceptance, and self-confidence asks what it truly means to show up for the people you love-and for yourself.

A 2025 ALA Notable Title

Review Quotes

"Magical and heartbreaking! You will read this book in one gulp." --Jennifer L. Holm, New York Times-bestselling author of The Fourteenth Goldfish

"THE THINGS WE MISS is a remarkable book. It has big questions, hard truths, and powerful magic...and it's also a great story. It is a book that will make you think, a book that will make you feel, a book that will make you cheer, a book that will make you cry, a book that will keep you turning the pages. Do not miss THE THINGS WE MISS." --Dan Gemeinhart, New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Children and The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

"This book is both heartbreaking and magical. I couldn't put it down; I had to know the characters I grew to love would be okay." --Stacy McAnulty, author of The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl and Forever Twelve.

"Balancing deeply authentic day-to-day moments with an element of unexpected magic, Leah Stecher offers a thoughtful meditation on how we must choose to live fully in a difficult world, even when it hurts us. This is a book about how friendship binds us to ourselves and reality, and why we fight for it." --Laurel Snyder, author of Orphan Island and My Jasper June

"An emotionally resonant story that deftly blends fantasy and reality. Readers will see themselves in the smart, likable protagonist as she learns to embrace all experiences, even the most challenging." --Barbara Dee, author of Maybe He Just Likes You and Unstuck

"A poignant excavation of grief, love, and the messy complications of friendship. No one should miss this gem of a book." --Megan E. Freeman, author of Alone

"An achingly relatable blend of inexplicable magic and the all-too-real heartbreaks of the everyday world. Complex characters, an engaging storyline, and an authentic dive into the tragedies and triumphs of middle school and family life make this one a must-read." --Monica Roe, author of Air

"An enchanting, heartbreaking, and magical look at how the choices we make impact not just how we live, but who we are." --Chris Baron, author of The Magical Imperfect and All of Me

"Stecher's magical debut is a reminder to be present, even when life's challenges seem insurmountable. A stunning middle grade novel with memorable characters who take readers on a journey to self love, acceptance, and healing. I loved everything about this story!" --María José Fitzgerald, author of Turtles of the Midnight Moon

"Bitter and sweet are two sides of the same coin, and Leah Stecher's beautiful novel shows us how we can't have one without the other. The Things We Miss is deftly written, full of humor and heartache and so, so much heart. I simply loved it." --Tziporah Cohen, author of No Vacancy

"[An] imaginative debut. A powerful story about self-acceptance and showing up for life that should be put in the hands of all middle school readers." --School Library Journal, starred review

"This thoughtful, heart-wrenching speculative novel is a poignant reminder that life has 'lots of uphills so you can enjoy the downhills afterwards'." --Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Stecher's speculative, heartrending debut eloquently portrays the joys and sorrows of being in seventh grade--and the importance of remaining present." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"At once a bit Dumplin' and a bit Starfish . . . this heartfelt novel cuts deeply." --Booklist

"A heartwarming (and heartbreaking) story you won't want to skip through." --BCCB

"In the resonant novel The Things We Miss, a girl learns that running away doesn't solve problems, and that being present is an act of love." --Foreword Reviews

"A powerful story about the joy and pain of growing up." --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Leah Stecher was born and raised in Southern California and currently lives in coastal Maine. By day, she edits policy papers for an environmental nonprofit; by night, she writes middle grade fiction. She has strong opinions on tea blends, chocolate chip cookie recipes, and action movies.
@leahstecher