This middle-grade friendship book makes a fun, quick read
Sometimes getting grounded is the first step to freedom, especially when you’re using bad ideas to guide your path.
Edith and her quirky, offbeat family travel to Florida for the summer after the passing of her grandmother Petunia. Though she never met her grandma, she feels an odd kinship with the nontraditional woman, especially after finding Petunia’s old list of goals, which comes with a warning: “Not for the Fainthearted!!!” Feeling abandoned by her back-home friend, Taylor, and lost in her family dynamic—overprotective mother, wannabe cool dad, and obnoxious, genius younger twin siblings, she is desperately in need of an identity of her own. Preferably one that does not include “boring” as a description, a moniker she overheard at a recent social gathering where Taylor was accepted but she was not. Renaming herself Edie and working with her almost-famous cousin Rae (she’s acted in commercials) for the summer as the family repairs Petunia’s old house to sell forces the reluctant dare-taker to want to push her limits. However, a mishmash of lies and half-truths between Edie and Rae threatens to destroy their budding friendship. Through Edie’s candid voice, Stewart pens a bright, funny gem that charms with its spot-on sarcasm and wit. Readers will appreciate the clever way she re-creates the awkwardness of trying to figure yourself out.
This middle-grade friendship book makes a fun, quick read . (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-06-236021-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A school story with a twist, told with humor, insight, and empathy.
What does it mean to be human?
Mr. Aidact is the new teacher at Brightling Middle School. He immediately makes a strong impression when, despite having his back turned, he reaches out and catches a spitball the moment before it hits his head. This does not endear him to spitball-thrower Oliver Zahn, Brightling’s self-described foremost rule breaker and the first narrator in this tale told through multiple perspectives. Gifted student and field hockey player Rosalie Arnette, like many kids her age, is just trying to figure out how to negotiate the hallways and the middle school social structure. Nathan Popova, Oliver’s best friend, enjoys a good prank but doesn’t want to get in trouble, which is hard when your buddy actively goes looking for it. Steinke Newhouse—who really hates being called Stinky—feels his greatest talent is arguing, which regularly lands him in detention. Although Mr. Aidact seems to be very literal and to lack a sense of humor, he sees and gets each student, meeting them where they’re at. Is he too good to be true? Oliver and Nathan know something’s up—but the answer, which brings in AI and government experiments—surprises even them. Each viewpoint is distinct, and most characters are multifaceted. Most characters default to White.
A school story with a twist, told with humor, insight, and empathy. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-303279-8
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
An unusual story about forging new bonds.
Carl Chesterfield can see 33 bridges from his Pittsburgh window.
Descended from generations of bridge engineers, Carl is avidly interested in the structures. His creatively frustrated father spends his time repairing bridges because there is no room to build new ones—and strangely, more repairs are needed than ever as bridges are being damaged in unusual ways. Friendless Carl spots a cryptic flyer warning people about the damage to bridges, making him wonder whether someone else also believes that monsters are the culprit. Carl’s father finally opens a food truck near an old bridge constructed by Carl’s great-grandfather where, as a proudly average person, he insists on serving average food, which he mistakenly believes will have broad appeal. Carl finally makes a friend in Teddy (flyer creator and school principal’s son), who broaches the monster theory. However, Carl encounters Frank, a troll who lives under the bridge near his father’s food truck, who, rather than eating them, once protected bridges. Bee, another classmate and daughter of Pittsburgh’s foremost restaurant critic, soon joins the boys. This occasionally humorous novel features a likable cast of middle school kids and their families. Frank plays an amusing role in saving the day—after causing much of the trouble. Most main characters read as White; Bee and her mother are East Asian. Photorealistic grayscale spot art greatly enhances the text, bringing the setting and characters' emotions to life.
An unusual story about forging new bonds. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-316-54251-7
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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