The New Norm
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Simon & Schuster
Published:18th Jun '26
Should be back in stock very soon
A chronically online middle schooler tries to bring his social media fame into his real life in this new middle grade series about surviving cringe both on the internet and IRL!
Everyone’s got a lot to say on the Meadowview Middle School social media forum. From roasts of Mrs. Klinger’s morning announcements to rage-bait cafeteria pizza reviews, the tea is hot!
And in the middle of it all is Alexander “Norm” Norman, who has just gone unintentionally viral across the internet and become a middle-school celebrity. Pretty sweet, right? Well, not so much. Can Norm balance his real friends and his new fame—and make it through the first week of school without getting totally roasted in the chat?
Peppered with slang, this is an amusing take on the pitfalls of fame that will appeal to those looking for a light read. -- Kirkus * 7/1/2026 *
Gilbert captures the outsize emotional stakes of everyday middle school moments with keen insight, and Norm’s wry, self-aware narration is both amusing and relatable. The result is a timely look at the tension between online identity and real-life relationships—and the cost of trying to maintain both. -- Publishers Weekly * 2/23/2026 *
ISBN: 9798347103393
Dimensions: 194mm x 130mm x 13mm
Weight: 122g
160 pages