The Gray

A middle-grade novel about a boy spending the summer in the country to help deal with his anxiety.

Sasha has had a tough middle-school year—he’s been bullied, and his anxiety is increasing. Sasha’s dad tells him to “toughen up,” and he does, with unfortunate, hurtful results. His parents and therapist agree that a summer in the country with his aunt is the best medicine, but the house reminds him of his beloved uncle, who died two years before.

His aunt is supportive, and there are some potential new friends, but still, Sasha’s anxiety, which he calls the Gray, is ever-present. When he is matched at a local ranch with a horse coincidentally named The Gray, he feels a kindred spirit, even though riding scares him. But what is scarier is when one of his new friends disappears. Will Sasha be brave enough to face the truth about himself and his new friends?

Chris Baron is a professor of English at San Diego City College. He is the author of The Magical Imperfect, a Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Book, and All of Me, a Southern California Independent Booksellers Association bestseller, a Book Riot Best Children’s Book About Kindness, and an NCTE Notable Book. Chris lives in San Diego with his family.

"Baron intricately captures teen friendship dynamics, interweaving quiet suspense by gradually divulging a pivotal, dark moment in the town’s recent past. Sensory-rich settings and viscerally imagined depictions of anxiety manifest an immersive world without pulling punches, carving a hopeful path for Sasha’s mental health management. An author’s note shares Baron’s lived experience with anxiety." —Publishers Weekly

"The central idea—that, since water can slowly change a rock, any person on Earth can also change, a concept connected to Uncle Lou’s beloved story from the Talmud about Akiva and the Stone—is one of enormous importance. Baron also gets props for his sympathetic and evenhanded depiction of anxiety and the many different ways to treat it, from in-the-minute breathing exercises to appropriate medication." —Kirkus Reviews