“Not If I Can Help It” by Carolyn Mackler is about a girl named Willa.  Willa lives with her dad and brother in an apartment, loves building LEGOs, loves gummy bears on her ice cream, and has an obsession with dogs. Willa also has a best friend named Ruby. Willa seems like a normal kid. But there’s a slight twist to the story. Willa doesn’t like irritating tags on her shirt or socks that make her itchy because she has SPD, or Sensory Processing Disorder. People diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder don’t like certain textures, like itchy sweaters or slimy food. 

Think things can’t get any worse for Willa? Well, she has yet another problem to deal with. Willa’s dad and Ruby’s mom told Willa and Ruby that they just started dating. Ruby is excited about it, but Willa is very upset about the news. She doesn’t want her dad to [possibly] marry Ruby’s mom because five people living in an already small apartment would be hard. She also doesn’t want to share her room with Ruby because she hasn’t told Ruby about her disorder yet.

Willa also has to deal with her Mom living two hours away with a new husband. She’s fine with it because she and her brother get to see their mom every other weekend.

Willa is waiting for a letter that tells her which middle school she will go to. Will Willa mourn over whether she will be in the same middle school as Ruby? Or will Willa draw her attention away from that topic and focus on her dream dog that she might get at the end of the school year? Want to learn more? Read this book to find out! 

I really liked this book because it kept my interest. I recommend this book to girls and boys 10 and up who like humor, suspense, sadness, and triumph.