Also by this author: The Six Conversations: Pathways to Connecting in an Age of Isolation and Incivility, This Seat's Saved
Series: Elita Brown #3
Published by Moody Publishers on October 7, 2025
Genres: Children's
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Book 3 in the Elita Brown series.
Spring arrives in Pennsylvania and Elita Brown suddenly finds herself seated at the table of popularity. She wins a leadership award that also wins the admiration and attention of others—including the new popular boy in school. But when her best friend posts a video about Elita that goes viral, Elita realizes not every table fits her personality—or God's plan for her. Torn between joining the world of popularity or the world of hummingbird nests and fox dens, Elita pulls away from the Nature Club she loves. But negative comments about her appearance and the pressures of feeling famous leave Elita questioning her choices.
Elita must decide what matters most of all. How will she get back to the table where she belongs? Can she ever forgive or reconcile with her friend? Will the friend she’s been ignoring all spring accept her apology? With the help of trusted people in her life, Elita learns to look at her seat from the perspective of God’s riches in mercy and kindness.
Readers of The Elite Seat discover how to persevere amidst the unique temptations of middle school popularity and the problem of self-consciousness; they learn God's plan to live a life of forgiveness, authenticity, and service to others—even when 7th grade survival feels beyond possible.
The Elite Seat is the third book in the Elita Brown series by Heather Holleman. This fictional series is about a seventh-grade girl who lives in rural Pennsylvania, and the books explore her changing friendships, deepening passion for science and nature, and growing faith. The first book, This Seat’s Saved, focused on coping with social exclusion. The second book, The Disappearing Seat, grappled with disappointing life transitions and the sense that everyone else’s life is more exciting than yours. Now, in The Elite Seat, Elita has an unexpected taste of popularity after a video goes viral, and she has to decide who she really wants to be.
The faith themes in this book revolve around issues of image and motivation, highlighting that if your biggest motivation is being seen and praised by others, then your heart isn’t in the right place. The book also has great messages about loving your enemies, growing in forgiveness, and learning to reconcile your differences with others. I appreciate how well the author portrays Elita’s hard-won growth. The book doesn’t just teach lessons, but realistically portrays Elita’s feelings, inner processing, and steps towards greater spiritual and emotional maturity. Holleman also paces things well and builds suspense throughout the book, and I found it hard to put it down.
It is definitely best to read this series in order. People who start with this title can still follow along, since the author explains and reintroduces things adequately, but readers will get more out of this story if they read it in sequence. The life lessons in this book build on the groundwork laid in the previous books, and the story frequently references past experiences and friendship dynamics that are relevant to Elita’s life. This book is a very natural continuation of the previous two, and I appreciate how well Holleman ties in different subplots about supporting characters.
The Elite Seat is an entertaining, page-turning novel that will appeal to Christian girls. Girls ages ten to fourteen will relate to Elita’s thoughts and struggles, and they will appreciate the relatable and suspenseful slice-of-life subplots, which represent common challenges with technology and relationships. The story also ends on an exciting note, setting up new adventures for the fourth and final book.