Sally J. Pla’s ROWAN + GEMMA Finds Connection in a Challenging First Year of High School

In Sally J. Pla’s ROWAN + GEMMA, two young people find an easy connection in a year when school and family life are anything but easy. Alternating narration gives Rowan and Gemma room to describe their own experiences, making their growing friendship the heart of this upper middle grade novel. The book is scheduled for October 20, 2026, and runs 288 pages.

Rowan Monahan lives with his parents in Friendship Prairie, a fictional town where he’s often bullied by a cousin. His stutter and slower processing lead some people to underestimate him. The review points to a different measure of his intelligence: Rowan has a clear sense of how people ought to treat one another, even when those around him fall short.

Gemma has recently moved to town with her mother and three older brothers, triplets who play football. She is autistic and nonspeaking, and communicates using a tablet with a range of voices. Starting high school brings a substantial adjustment: Gemma has been homeschooled, and now has to find her bearings in a new school and community.

A friendship tested by family conflict

The two meet on the first day of classes and quickly feel at ease with one another. Their families complicate that promise. Rowan’s mother and Gemma’s mother are in a bitter dispute, and their personal accusations threaten to pull the teenagers into the adults’ conflict. Rowan and Gemma try to keep their friendship private, hoping to protect what they’ve begun to build.

That tension gives the story its Romeo and Juliet echo, though the focus here is less on grand romance than on two young people trying to make their own choices amid family pressure. The review describes their first relationship as innocent and age-appropriate, making the book a possibility for readers aged 10 and up, as well as older readers drawn to stories about growing up and belonging.

The reviewer finds the alternating voices an engaging way into both characters’ lives, and says the format makes for a fast read. Rowan and Gemma’s emotional insight is another strength: they often show more maturity than the adults around them. The contrast gives their attempts to preserve their friendship a quiet force, while leaving room for humor and warmth.

Communication, siblings and a classroom conversation

Gemma’s use of her tablet is one of the elements the reviewer especially valued. Her communication is part of how she meets other people and takes part in her new surroundings; the story invites readers to notice the work involved in connecting when others may not understand how someone communicates. It also gives young readers an opportunity to encounter a nonspeaking autistic character whose relationships and perspective matter to the story.

Gemma’s brothers bring a different kind of support. The triplets offer amusing moments as well as care for their younger sister, and the review highlights the way Gemma comes to recognize each brother as an individual. Their family scenes broaden the book beyond its central friendship, showing the affection and friction that can coexist among siblings.

A high school teacher’s discussion of media manipulation and AI also stands out in the second half. The reviewer calls attention to the teacher’s perspective as a useful classroom conversation. It adds a thread about thinking carefully about what people encounter and share, alongside the novel’s more intimate attention to communication between family members and friends.

About Sally J. Pla

Pla is an award-winning author whose books for young readers often feature neurodivergent characters. She has spoken about drawing on her experience as a late-diagnosed autistic person, and her writing centers characters who encounter the world in distinct ways. Her earlier titles include The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn, which received the 2024 ALA Schneider Family Book Award, and The Someday Birds, recipient of the 2018 Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award. Her other books include Stanley Will Probably Be Fine, Benji, The Bad Day, and Me, Ada and Zaz, and Invisible Isabel.

Beyond her books, Pla founded and manages A Novel Mind, a resource focused on mental health and neurodiversity in children’s literature. She has appeared on television and radio to discuss the value of accepting different ways of thinking. Pla holds English degrees from Colgate University, with honors, and Penn State University, where she earned an M.A. Before writing full time, she worked as a business journalist and in public education. She lives in Southern California with her family.

For readers choosing a book for a young person, the review’s strongest recommendation is its balance: Rowan and Gemma face serious family strain, but their first relationship stays gentle, and humor comes through in the sibling scenes. ROWAN + GEMMA looks suited to readers ready for a school story that takes communication and empathy seriously while keeping its focus on the hopeful bond between two teenagers.

Learn more at www.sallyjpla.com, or find Pla on Instagram at @sallyjpla and Facebook at Sally J Pla.

October is AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) Awareness Month. Learn more through ISAAC’s AAC Awareness Month page.