Published: 2025
Author: Elle McNicoll
Genre: Middle Grade Realistic Fiction / Contemporary
Audience: Grades 5–8
Number of Stars: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Goodreads Link: Role Model
Themes: Neurodiversity, Identity, Resilience, Fame, Friendship.
Publisher’s Summary
From the award-winning author of A Kind of Spark comes a new heartfelt and timely novel for middle-grade and teen readers.
Aeriel Sharpe doesn’t want to be anyone’s role model. But, when her mother is elected to be the most important politician in the country (yes, that one), she is thrust into the spotlight. With the world’s eyes on her, friends don’t seem that friendly and she feels trapped by everyone’s expectations.
They want her to be the voice of every autistic teenager, but Aeriel must find a way to speak for herself…It’s not easy being thirteen… and it’s even harder when you’re the most famous teenager in the country
Full Review
Role Model follows the story a Aeriel Sharpe, a 13 year old girl with Autism. Her life is significantly changed when her mother becomes the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Aeriel us suddenly thrown into the spotlight of social media and being judged by strangers. She then finds herself expected to become the spokesperson for all teenagers with autism. She is struggling to try to adjust to her new life, while trying to navigate life as teenager; including friendships, fitting in a school, and trying to figure out who she wants to truly be. Living up to other people’s expectations was becoming an ongoing battle. With the help of a small group of authentic friends and her sister, who is also neurodivergent, Aeriel learns that she doesn’t need to change herself in to what others think she should be. She begins to understand her own identity and on her own terms too.
This novel showcases important ideas such as self-acceptance, authenticity, neurodiversity, and understanding your true self. It is a powerful story meant for middle grade that helps children explore ideas of autism. Friendship, identity, pressure and living up to someone else’s expectations. Some very pertinent topics that our generation’s youth can understand and relate to in current modern society. Aeriel’s character is very relatable too with her authenticity of being honest, intelligent and funny. The author does an excellent job at demonstrating how a young teenager may feel overwhelmed when constantly being judged and misunderstood. You can really get drawn in to her feelings of frustration, fear, and growth throughout the story.
This story is engaging, emotional, and relatable while balancing hard topics with humor and hope. It provides a meaningful representation of neurodivergence, inclusion, empathy, and individuality. Nobody is perfect and anyone can make a difference.
🎒 Classroom & Curricular Connections
- ELA (Media Literacy & Identity):
- Activity Idea: “The Public vs. Private Self.” Have students create a social media profile for a fictional character (or themselves) and compare it to a private diary entry. Discuss how Aeriel’s “public” image as the PM’s daughter differs from her true self.
- Social Studies & Civics (The Price of Power):
- Activity Idea: Research the families of world leaders (like the children of U.S. Presidents or UK Prime Ministers). What privacy laws exist for minors in the spotlight? Discuss the ethical responsibilities of the press when covering the children of politicians.
- SEL (Building Authentic Friendships):
- Activity Idea: “Friendship Red Flags vs. Green Flags.” In the book, some people only want to be Aeriel’s friend because of her mother. Have students create a chart identifying signs of genuine friendship versus superficial or “clout-chasing” behavior.
- Writing (Voice and Advocacy):
- Activity Idea: Aeriel struggles to speak for herself rather than a group. Have students write a “Personal Manifesto” titled “I am not a spokesperson for [X], I am simply [Name].” This helps students explore their individual identities apart from their labels.
