Middle Grade Fiction – Page 2

The Red Umbrella

by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

2010

272 pages

Every once in a great while my friend Tina and I are able to browse our local library together. When we do I always leave with a double bag full of books. She simply walks down the shelves and says “You need to read this one and this one and oh, have you NOT read this one…” She is an amazing reader, far more prolific than me, and has a knack for picking great books. On our last library visit she handed me The Red Umbrella and it was the first one I pulled out of the library bag.

Synopsis from the book:

     Cuba 1961: two years after the Communist revolution, Lucía Álvarez still leads a carefree life, dreaming of parties and her first crush. But when the soldiers come to her sleepy Cuban town, everything begins to change. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. Her friends feel like strangers. And her family is being watched.
     As the revolution’s impact becomes more oppressive, Lucía’s parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United States—on their own.
     Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, Lucía struggles to adapt to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. But what of her old life? Will she ever see her home or her parents again? And if she does, will she still be the same girl?

My thoughts:

I was moved by both parts of this story. I didn’t know very much about Cuban life before Castro or after and Gonzalez’s work gave me a look into this history. I found it interesting how the revolutionaries worked so heavily on Cuban children, especially young adults, to carry out their “for the good of the common people” message. Learning about Operation Pedro Pan was new and one I was happy to read about. Thankfully, the U.S. took part in this exodus of children from Cuba to the States. As Lucia and her brother are sent away her friend, Ivette, stays in Cuba and attends Castro’s camps to learn how to be a good revolutionary leader. I liked the balance between Lucia’s Nebraska story and Ivette’s Cuba experience told through her letters.

Once in Nebraska, Lucia and Frankie, while missing their parents, also must cope with how difficult it is to come to this country and be an outsider. The Baxters are an older couple, living on a farm, in Grand Island, Nebraska-the polar opposite of Cuba, especially in winter. Luckily, even though it is rough, and they miss their parents, life becomes comfortable with the Baxters. Lucia and Frankie find friends at school and do well in their new environment.

Perfect Quote:

I was going to be wearing hand-me-downs. Used clothing. I’d never had to do that before. We always bought the very latest fashions. Ivette would be mortified to see me wearing these clothes.
I missed her. I also missed Mama and Papa, my room, my school, everything I’d left behind. Tears started to form, but I took a deep breath to try to keep them from falling. I didn’t want to cry anymore. (156)

Authors often speak of a story emerging, just asking to be written and this is probably true of Christina Diaz Gonzalez’s story based on recollections from her own family. I feel richer having read Lucia’s tale and look forward to others by Gonazalez.

Christina Diaz Gonzalez’s blog.
To find it at a local IndieBound store near you, click on the title: The Red Umbrella

Other reviews on The Red Umbrella:

Reading Rants!
Kiss the Book
Semicolon
JuJu at Tales of Whimsy

Forge (2010) by Laurie Halse Anderson

Did you read Chains (2008) by Halse Anderson?
Oh, it was a good read! I liked it because it was a serious look at the Revolutionary War through the eyes of Isabel, a slave. What a perfect paradox: Americans fighting for their freedom from King George while enslaving Africans into intense labor.

Good Reads Summary:

In this compelling sequel to Chains, a National Book Award Finalist and winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson shifts perspective from Isabel to Curzon and brings to the page the tale of what it takes for runaway slaves to forge their own paths in a world of obstacles—and in the midst of the American Revolution.
The Patriot Army was shaped and strengthened by the desperate circumstances of the Valley Forge winter. This is where Curzon the boy becomes Curzon the young man. In addition to the hardships of soldiering, he lives with the fear of discovery, for he is an escaped slave passing for free. And then there is Isabel, who is also at Valley Forge—against her will. She and Curzon have to sort out the tangled threads of their friendship while figuring out what stands between the two of them and true freedom.

My thoughts: I have to admit at first I was a bit disappointed with the heavy focus on Curzon and all the fighting. I missed Isabel’s character and the mystery and intrigue of the first book, but as I kept reading I enjoyed learning about the Valley Forge experience. I did not know, for example, that the soldiers had to build their own cabins in the snow. Curzon’s story follows the battles closely and they end up at Valley Forge. He is constantly tormented by some of his fellow soldiers and yet, remarkably, he manages to maintain his dignity throughout. Thankfully Isabel eventually comes back into Curzon’s life, demonstrating how tenous life is for both of them, rounding the story out nicely for me.
This is a perfect book to help young people understand the horrors of war, slavery and the importance of friendship throughout adversity. I’m now anxiously awaiting the third installment, Ashes , in Halse Anderson’s Seeds of American series.

Some books I have to really search for the perfect quote to share, not so with Halse Anderson’s work because every page has something worth sharing.

Random Quote:

The last lad was John Burns. His rude manner declared him my enemy the first time he clapped eyes on me. Burns had white skin that turned red when he was angry (a frequent condition), dirt-colored hair that never stayed tied back in a queue, and small eyes like a badger’s that were forever seeking a way to avoid work. He spat at my feet whenever I walked by. He accused me of stealing my new hat. He said the crudest kinds of things about my parents and grandparents, and he convinced the Barry brothers to join him in his foulness. (54)

Read Abby (the) Librarian”s review.
Find the author’s website and blog here-Laurie Halse Anderson
Enjoy this great article (Publishers Weekly/Shelf Talker) about a school visit

I’m an IndieBound affiliate.
Buy Forge from an IndieBound

The Sorceress

by Michael Scott

(2009)

488 pgs.

My son and I picked up The Alchemyst; The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel (2007) from a book store-he was in middle school at the time and still enjoyed reading the same thing as me- we devoured it pretty quickly. Eventually we also read The Magician and then The Sorceress. My son finished it oh, like a year ago and it has been resting peacefully on my tbr bookshelf just waiting for me. It was a great book to kick off October as it would be so much fun to be Perenelle Flamel for Halloween.

Nicholas and Perenelle have been married for centuries, which reminds me always of one of my favorite reads, Jitterbug Perfume, which also features a couple who beat the whole aging trick. I need to reread Jitterbug for another challenge and I think it will fit perfectly on the heels of this one. I thought when I was reading this one that it was the end of the series-fantasy books often come as a trilogy but as I researched Michael Scott for another post I discovered he has another one out with perhaps two more in the works. Wow!

Synopsis:

     Nicholas Flamel’s heart almost broke as he watched his beloved Paris crumble before him. The city was destroyed by Dee and Machiavelli, but Flamel played his own role in the destruction. Sophie and Josh Newman show every sign of being the twins of prophecy, and Flamel had to protect them and the pages from the Dark Elders.

     But Nicholas grows weaker with each passing day. Perenelle is still trapped in Alcatraz, and now that Scatty has gone missing, the group is without protection. Except for Clarent-the twin sword to Excalibur. But Clarent’s power is unthinkable, its evil making it nearly impossible to use without its darkness seeping into the soul of whoever wields it.
     If he hopes to defeat Dee, Nicholas must find an Elder who can teach Josh and Sophie the third elemental magic-Water Magic. The problem? The only one who can do that is Gilgamesh, and he is quite, quite insane.

Here is a snyopsis of The Alchemyst to catch you up:

The Alchemyst is a contemporary fantasy which opens in modern day San Francisco when brother and sister, Josh and Sophie discover that the owner of the bookstore where Josh works is the immortal French alchemist, Nicholas Flamel. Flamel and his wife, Perenelle, are the guardians of the Book of Abraham which they have protected for centuries. This is a collection of the most powerful spells in the world. When Dr John Dee discovers the Flamels’ whereabouts, he attacks and snatches the book. Josh and Sophie intervene to help Flamel, but now they too are being hunted by Dee and creatures that predate humanity.

All of the main characters in The Alchemyst series are based on figures from history or mythology.

It is the last sentence that makes this series come alive for me. Discovering and researching the real characters mixed into the fantasy tale make it very intriguing. The Sorceress especially brought to life some characters (name-dropping…Shakespeare, for example) which add to the overall excitement. If I found myself between the pages of this book I would love to meet Shakespeare-maybe not many of the other characters, but Shakespeare, yes! It would be a blast to be Sophie or Josh and discover all these amazing new talents although they do come with a very heavy price. This book like Harry Potter and Charlie Bone will make kids wish for a magic wand that really works-in this series Josh gets to use a famous ancient sword that he commands. This is a very well-written series and I hope to read The Necromancer in a more timely fashion!! Oh, the fun of living in a fantasy world! Michael Scott is somewhat of an expert on Celtic folklore and I would love to read more of his large body of work. Counts for Reading from my own Shelves Challenge hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea. I plan on placing this book gently back on my son’s bookshelf-which are fairly empty compared to mine.

(4/5 peaceful stars)

Michael Scott’s website

Caroline from A Portrait of a Woman review

Purchase it here: Shop Indie Bookstores

The Girl Who Could Fly

by Victoia Forester

2008

328 pages

I picked this up from out Spring Scholastic Book Fair. The cover grabbed me! Luckily, once I started reading it-the story hooked me as well. The story is a little bit tall tale mixed with Spy Kids. My daughter, also attracted to the cover, asked me to read it with her after starting it myself. Oh, what fun some books are to read aloud! I cannot do a great English accent like the rest of my family so she has to listen to Harry Potter in “American English” but I can do a Southern drawl from our three years in Little Rock and Piper and her parents have drawls!

The beginning:

Piper decided to jump off of the roof. It wasn’t a rash decision on her part.
This was her plan-climb to the top of the roof, pick up speed by running from one end all the way to the other. Jump off.
Finally, and most importantly, don’t fall.
She didn’t make plans in the event that she did fall, because if you jump off of the roof of your house and land on your head, you really don’t need any plans from that point on. Even Piper knew that. (1)

Piper McCloud is a character with big plans and great ideas throughout this delightful book. She lives with her ma and pa on a farm in Lowland County, Southern USA and discovers at an early age that she can lift off the ground and eventually by meditating on the idea of flying she can make it happen. Even beyond her flying ability she is a rare and uniquely sensitive young girl. She questions her farmer father about cow’s having feelings as she clearly watches a mother cow mourn for a lost calf!
But alas life never remains in balance and Piper’s flying ability is discovered by the townsfolk and she is ostracized for being so radically different from the norm. Enter her saviour -Dr. Hellion (great name), who whisks her away in a helicopter to a safe haven for kids who are “different.” I.N.S.A.N.E is Dr. Hellion’s school for children who are “lost” in the world because of their special abilities and Dr. Hellion runs it with a crew of minions. They’ve made it a very desirable place to live with special diets, comfy beds and clothing made-to-order. Piper, having been homeschooled, is thrilled to be surrounded by other children for the first time in her life.

As soon as Nurse Tolle was seated at the head of the table and Professor Mumbleby at the foot, the kids hungrily dug into their scrumptious food. It became immediately clear to Piper why mealtimes were such a high point at the facility. She had never tasted food quite so good in all her life. There must have been five different flavors she’d never experienced before in her first bite alone, and every part of her mouth sat up and sang. (108)

The facility introduces a whole new cast of interesting characters and we’re not always sure who is good or evil. Piper’s journey is worth traveling as she discovers the truth about the institute and stays true to herself throughout. Teamwork is a huge element as many of the students need to trust their own instincts and rely on each other’s unique skills. This would make a fun read-aloud for 4th-6th grade students, especially if you can do that Southern Drawl! 4/5 stars

Other spots on the web to read about Piper McCloud:

Victoria Forester’s website
Kay at The Infinite Shelf’s review
and another good one at
Elizabeth’s blog at Swords for Fighting

Happy Reading!!

From Alice to Zen and Everyone in Between

by Elizabeth Atkinson

(2008)

247 pages

The title of this book stood out to me as I glanced quickly through the new (er) section of my local library.

Synopsis (from IndieBound):

Alice likes playing soccer and working on her go-kart with her dad. Her bedroom is decorated with a baseball theme. But when she moves to the suburbs, she learns from the boy down the street that she has no hope of fitting in at her new middle school unless she starts acting more “like a girl.” Zen seems kind of weird himself–how many boys read fashion magazines and dream of someday owning a spa? Alice learns that fitting in and being herself are two very different things–until she tries to fit in with people who like her for who she really is.

My Thoughts:

While I liked the essence of this book I did not fall in love with the characters. I found their actions to be slightly off-balance. But then this a middle school read and I’m no longer in that category.
Alice is happy to live in her new suburban neighborhood in a big, new house (which was purchased from her father’s ebay sale of a book signed by JFK-for $60,000) but she hopes for some other kids nearby. Walking the ‘hood one day, exploring with her backpack on she discovers Zen:

“Are you running away already?”

Around the corner to the left of the stop sign, a big, bulky boy sat in a ratty lounge chair under the thick shade of an old tree. His hair was so blond it looked white. And it was unusually curly. He wore a hand-painted t-shirt and cut off jeans exposing the palest legs I had ever seen. In his right hand, he held a magazine, and in his left, a glass of lemonade with a bendy straw.
“Don’t you like Hemlockless Trail?”
I stopped and stared, not sure if I should talk to him.
“Isn’t it clever how the builders named the road after the very trees they cut down?”
I glanced back up the street, but I had no idea what a hemlock tree would look like.
“So didn’t you people just move into your cookie-cutter chateau? Which one is yours?’ (25)

And their rocky friendship begins. They are total opposites as Zen helps her become (his idea) of a popular girl and she listens and accepts it all, giving up her tomboy image. Alice is dumbfound by his lack of boy traits-she’d be happy with a boy for a best friend but this boy is not boyish at all! Zen has his own standards and I do like his comments about Hemlock (less) Trail and cookie-cutter houses so he does have a sense of humor. He likes to crimp hair and read fashion magazines but he also does some snarky things behind Alice’s back. He could be Alice’s gay best friend but it doesn’t end up that way as once Alice is in school and in with the crowd she ignores Zen. Ultimately this is a book about following your own path and staying true to yourself and while I got the message but my feelings were mixed.

I did like Atkinson’s writing style and would try another book written by her.

2.5/5 stars
Other compelling reviews:

Literate Lives
Kiss The Book

Shop Indie Bookstores

Fablehaven Part Two

(great cover…)

Rise of the Evening Star
Brandon Mull
(2007)

Jana from Milk and Cookies; Comfort Reading made a comment on my review of Fablehaven #1 that this “series just keeps getting stronger with each book”-and with this second one I agree. It built nicely on top of the solid groundwork Mull created in the first. While I was reading I kept thinking oh, I’ll have to include that part in my review-you know like the part where:

Kendra sees new student, Casey for what he really is-a disgusting, decidedly not human creature.
Or how her brother, Seth breaks into a mortuary in the middle of the night to steal a treasure with nothing more than a dog biscuit for help.
How that same treasure ends up eating something very, very important (can’t say-don’t want to ruin it).
And then getting whisked away to Fablehaven by the super sleek Vanessa Santoro in her light-speed, ultra-chic vehicle.
Oh, they meet Warren, Dale’s brother, scared by something so bone-chillingly awful that he’s nearly catatonic.
You’ll want to know how Coulton Dixon and Tanugatoa Dufu save the…well, I really don’t want to give too much away.
Oh, Grandpa and Grandma Sorenson are locked away and to save them, Kendra and Seth change into…(shh, I can’t say it).

You’re going to have to read this series and find out how all these events connect to each other…

Suffice it to say this book is filled with a suspenseful, page-turning plot with an intriguing cast of multi-dimensional characters (you never know who’s the traitor…). Whoops, I’ve said too much! Kendra’s new magical abilities and Seth’s antics will keep kids totally enthralled. I will seek out the third book in this series (from the library) when I return from fablehaven-ah, I mean camping. If Jana is correct then I’m in for a another treat.
Counts toward my 2010 Support Your Local Library Challenge featured at Home Girl’s Book Blog.

Highly Recommended
Middle Grade Fantasy

Read my review here of the first Fablehaven.

Other reviews are here:
What…more books
What to read
Rhiannon at The Diary of a Bookworm

Fablehaven

(what a great cover)

by Brandon Mull
(2006)

I picked this one up from my book fair about a year ago and it’s been sitting on my shelf just waiting for me. My husband has even tapped it, saying things like…”why don’t you read this one-it looks good.” Even with that sales pitch from a man who hasn’t read it, I still didn’t take the bait. Then I read on someone else’s blog that the fifth book in the series was out and my mouth hung a little. So much for being behind the times-I have plenty of excuses but I don’t need to share them-you’ve heard them all before!

Fablehaven is a mysterious safe haven for magical creatures. You know here in the 21st Century we tend to shun all things odd-we like butterflies but not fairies. I’m sure there would be quite an ebay bidding war if ever a fairy were to be found. So all magical creatures have been moved to a variety of large farms. Kendra and Seth’s grandfather happens to be caretaker of one of the largest and most secretive (off the map) of these sanctuaries. The siblings end up staying with their grandfather while their parents are away on a cruise. Grandpa Sorenson gives Seth and Kendra a list of rules they are to abide by and it doesn’t take but about 10 minutes for Seth to start breaking the rules; as most 11-year-old boys would do. He goes exploring in the woods-right where his grandfather has asked him not to-and naturally, he meets a witch. Kendra is more cautious but even she gets lured in by some of Seth’s wanderings. Seth had an excellent sense of humor and it is a joy to watch him test the waters of this new world to explore.

I was fully engaged in Seth and Kendra’s story and the land Brandon Mull has created and I loved living vicariously through Seth’s escapades-except when he looked out the window. I was cringing then, like a typical mother, thinking “oh, no, you’ve gone too far this time”-knowing there would be serious consequences. Now I’ve got a lot of catching up to do to get to book 5! If you haven’t read this one, give it a try!

4/5 peaceful stars

highly recommended-midlle school

plan on reading the rest of the series, soon.

Check out Dog Ear review here.
Brandon Mull’s website

The Homeschool Liberation League

by Lucy Frank

(2009)

Interesting book: great title,deep characters, extremely interesting topic.

What do you do if your kid is bored out of their mind at school? What if

that child seems to be self-motivated at home

learning about plants and animals all on their own? Homeschooling, unschooling, or regular schooling-which path do you choose?

This book eventually makes the case that there are many

different answers to that question.

Kaity, after a summer trip to Wilderness Camp, turns herself into” Katya” and decides to take herself out of school- on her very first day back! She leaves, walks out, on a day when many students are excited to see their friends, show off new school wardrobes and be a part of something but not Katya. She heads back home where she hides out in her treehouse for most of the day. Katya puts together a massive binder of researched information about schools and homeschooling as well as her reasons for wanting this so much and shares it with her parents-begging to be allowed to stay home and learn what she wants to learn. After meeting with the principal, the parents become frustrated with the school system as well so they decide to give it a try.

Along the way Katya meets Milo, a H.S. neighbor and young violin prodigy. Milo doesn’t want to be homeschooled any more because his dad is overbearing about the whole practicing, studying thing.
Several middle school and high school students who homeschool hate it…
they fight to go to school while Katya fights for one year of freedom.

There is very real conflicting feelings in the story. It is tough to wonder, with one decision, am I going to ruin my child’s life? I liked the emotion the book brought out in me yet I didn’t love the book. Katya was screechy and drove me a little crazy but I also think that is how a middle school girl might be. I think I was like that-everything very dramatic!! I think I would like to read another Lucy Frank book to do a little compare and contrast. I don’t homeschoo lmy own children and I do teach in the public school system but I am a fan of homeschooling as a good friend taught me homeschooling fits a variety of purposes. My previous idea was more along the lines of parents trying hard to shelter their children from the reality of the world-don’t read “To Kill a Mockingbird” or “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” -you know.

My favorite quote:

“I thought you loved school,” I lied. “You’re Francesca Halloran, star of everything. Teachers love you, kids love you. Everyone wants to be you. You always have that sparkly, sprightly, spunky, everything is so fun and easy and interesting, I-live-for-school…You always know what you’re doing-“
Her look reminded me of Milo. “Did you hear anything I said before? That doesn’t mean I like it. I’m just good at it. It’s a game, Katya. So I play to win, okay? I’m so good at playing it, most of the time I don’t even know it is a game.” Her eyes shone with feeling. “But you said no, I’m not playing. I can’t do it. I really admire that.” p. 187

One of the themes I loved in the book was the idea of being true to yourself and both Katya, Milo and Francesca learn to stand up for what it is they really want. Just as it would be in real life, the hardest part was convincing parents that their children were mature enough to know themselves!
I discussed the book this afternoon with my friend (yes, the homeschooling mama) and she thinks it would make a great reading choice for the parents of her H.S. group! It will be interesting to hear what they think!

Recommended-Middle Grade Fiction

3.5 /5 peaceful stars

Other Reviews:

Lazy Gal Reads

and Jessica at Kiss the Book
***Library Book Project***

Anything but Typical

Nora Raleigh Baskin

(2009)

This little book is not an easy, lyrically-written bit of prose, but in this case, that doesn’t mean it isn’t good.
Jason Blake is an autistic 12-year-old living in a neurotypical world. Through Jason’s narration experiences are relayed, both past and present, giving a very real look at how difficult it is to be “different” in our world.

This is a perfect quote to understand a day in Jason’s life:

     School doesn’t always go very well. It is pretty much a matter of time before the first thing of the day will go wrong.
     But today I’ve gotten far. It is already third period. Mrs. Hawthorne is absent and so we are going to the library instead of art class. This is a good sign. You’d think art class would be one of the easiest classes, but it’s not. I mean, it’s not that it’s hard like math, but it’s hard like PE. A lot of space and time that is not organized.
     Anything can go wrong in that kind of space.
     But not in the library. There are computers in the library. And books. And computers. Keyboards and screens and desks that are built inside little compartments so you don’t have to look at the person sitting next to you. And they can’t look at me.
     When we get into the library, somebody is already sitting in my seat, at my computer. At the one I want. Now I can’t breathe. I want to log on to my Storyboard website. I was thinking about it all the way here. I have already had to wait so long. I don’t know. (p. 3-4)

His discomfort is palpable, his anxiety rising as the librarian tries to direct him to another computer, which does not work. Eventually the young girl using the computer is talked into giving up the computer but only after she has made Jason feel horrible. It continues:

I feel off balance, like I am going to fall. I need to shift my weight back and forth, back and forth, rock to stabilize myself. I can feel my chance to use my computer getting further and further away from me. There isn’t even enough time left in the period. I might not get to log on at all, even if this girl does get up. A hundred little pieces threaten to come apart. (p. 8)

Lucky for Jason his parents are supportive and understanding and he has one friend, Aaron, who is nice to him at school. I loved this book because it gave me true insight into what it is like for an autistic child to live in for one moment, one day, every day, weeks rolling into months and years and the answer is its not easy. I put this on my last order for the year, switching out a Babymouse, to purchase this one instead because I believe it will make a great read aloud for 3-5 grade students to hear and open up to the idea that, while Jason is different, many of his feelings are ones they have as well.
Another great review here at Abby (the) Librarian. and another from Tina at Books are my thing. Nora Baskin’s site-click here. I will definetely look for more from this author.

5/5 peaceful stars

Recommended for elementary / middle grade fiction

My Life in Pink and Green by Lisa Greenwald

This book resonates with the idea that young people will be the ones to change the world!!

Lucy, a twelve-year-old, helps out at the family pharmacy. Her mother and grandmother are constantly at each other over bills and whether or not the pharmacy and their family home are going to survive. Lucy’s mom loves causes and the grandmother loves the pharmacy but neither one can see anyway to save it. Lucy, on the other hand, is brimming with fabulous ideas. She knows her products and one afternoon she helps an older student with a really bad hair plan gone wrong. Soon others are coming to Lucy for advise and beauty tips. Through an afterschool Earth Club she locates a Going Green Grant from the mayor. All she has to do is figure out a way to tweak the pharmacy’s business to fit it into a green plan. Lucy’s older sister, Claudia, a first-year college student at Northwestern, helps her fill out the grant information. This is such a great idea for a story with so many important themes running through (green businesses, eco-friendly products, as well as what can happen when bills are a struggle, girl power) to make the book timely and relevant. Lucy’s friend Sunny is a great addition as a multi-cultural character who suffers from her very first boy crush-Lucy gives her wonderful advise here as well. Lucy is all about being yourself and she passes this message out very well.

That said it wasn’t my favorite read so far this year. I loved Lucy-she was a great character but her mom and grandmother fell short for me. They were slightly wooden and spent way, way too much time in the back room of the pharmacy. There were also the little inconsistencies like when I’m broke I can’t go out for pizza (they do) and even though they are broke, Claudia, the older sister, heads to a third-world country to help out on a Spring Break trip. Usually college trips are only partially funded by the university and it seemed an odd choice because of their financial crisis. It would have made more sense for me if they would have just made mention that Claudia wanted to come home to help but couldn’t because of flight prices or homework. It was far-reaching for me to keep hearing allusions to expensive things when in the next chapter their power goes out because the bill hasn’t been paid.

My thoughts are that a younger audience is not going to pay any attention to that-they are going to see Lucy as an energetic, smart character, with great life tips and not worry about these minute inconsistencies. Even though I saw this listed as a YA title on Titlewave and in my local library I really think a younger girl audience would read it.

Highly Recommended

Middle Grade Fiction

4/5 peaceful stars

YA Books Central-good review-a 10-year-olds review!!!

Laura Mercier’s website-Lucy idolizes her and hopes to be as successful as her one day!!

This one I picked up at the public library, counting for J. Kaye’s

2010 Support Your Local Library Challenge