Hey there, faithful readers! The weather is cold (even here in Central Texas), the calendar is out of new months for the year, and Star War characters have started popping up around my neighborhood wearing Santa hats. Must mean it’s December.
So… it’s time for the December book recommendation. As always, past recs can be found here.
What book am I highlighting for the final edition of KidLit Adults Will Actually Like for 2025? A lesser-known title, but I think it’s a gem: The Firefly Code.
Synopsis
Old Harmonie. A familiar-feeling suburb that’s safe, orderly, and (if you ask the grown-ups) perfect. Kids grow up knowing their futures will be shaped by “modifications,” little genetic tweaks that help them become their best selves. As far as Mori knows, it’s all normal. Then Ilana moves onto Firefly Lane.
She’s is bright, kind, thoughtful… but somehow too perfect. As Mori and her friends get to know Ilana, they begin to notice odd glitches in their supposedly flawless world: forbidden houses, strange rules adults won’t explain, and a barrier around their community that feels more and more like containment rather than protection. Then Mori stumbles on the truth behind Ilana’s origin — and what Old Harmonie expects from its children — and realizes “perfection” might come with a cost that no one her age should have to pay.
Why Adults Will Actually Like It
A flawed utopia. Rather than going full dystopia, which can sometimes feel silly or overdone, Blakemore builds a world so polished it’s unsettling, and the slow unraveling of that veneer is genuinely compelling.
Emotional nuance. Mori is thoughtful, loyal, and deeply uncertain, and her friendships feel honest in all their shifting, middle-school complexity.
The hook isn’t technical — it’s philosophical. If you like stories that explore identity, autonomy, and what makes a person a person, there’s plenty to chew on.
Mystery that creeps and gets under your skin. Big plot twists every chapter? Not here. This book builds tension through small discoveries — a hidden truth, a suspicious rule — until suddenly the ground has shifted under everyone’s feet.
Complex themes for any age. Safety vs. freedom. Choice vs. control. The ethics of “improving” children. Middle grade, yes? But definitely not simplistic.
Kids on bikes! Despite the near-future setting, there’s a retro vibe here that may appeal to parents of a certain age looking to reminesce about the great kid adventures they grew up reading or watching.
Bottom line: If you like your speculative fiction thoughtful, slightly eerie, and anchored in characters you want to protect at all costs, this one is a standout. It also pairs well with a cozy blanket, a cup of something warm… and a lingering sense that your HOA might be hiding something. (Because, come on, you know they are.)
Have you read The Firefly Code or the rest of the series? Are there “quiet” middle grade sci-fi books that you’ve discovered and love?