Reviewed By: Jessica P.
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Recommended Age: Middle Grade
Genre: Contemporary
There are times we all feel we need more than one heart to get through. When Briana’s father dies, she imagines she has a new heart growing inside her. It speaks to her in her Dad’s voice. Some of its commands are mysterious.
Find Her! it says. Be Your Own!
How can Briana “be her own” when her grieving mother needs her to take care of her demanding little brother all the time? When all her grandpa can do is tell stories instead of being the “rock" she needs? When her not-so-normal home life leaves no time to pursue her dream of writing for the school literary magazine? When the first blush of a new romance threatens to be nipped in the bud? Forced by the loss of her favorite parent to see all that was once familiar with new eyes, Briana draws on her own imagination, originality, and tender loving heart to discover a surprising path through the storm.
About the Author: Laura Geringer Bass is the author of many books for children including A Three Hat Day, an ALA Notable Book and Sign of the Qin, an ALA Best Book as well as the Myth Men series, adapted by CBS as an animated TV show. As publisher of the award-winning Laura Geringer Books, an imprint of HarperColllins Publishers for over twenty years, she collaborated with many celebrated authors and illustrators in the field of children’s books. She is a mentor for Girls Write Now, for Prison Writes serving teens at risk, and for the graduate Fellowship program in Children’s Literature at Stonybrook/Southhampton, as well as a faculty member of New York Writer’s Workshop. She serves on the advisory board of First Book, a non-profit organization that has delivered over 180 million books into the hands of children in need. Find Laura on her website www.laurageringerbass.com and on Facebook.
Noteworthy experiences while reading this book:
This middle-grade story is one. Of heartbreak. It does a lot of telling but not a lot of showing and the narrative was a little off for me.
]Do I Recommend this book? Not really this one had a lot of issues.
Notes and Opinions:
I don’t think that the main characters voice really sounded like an 8th grader. At least not any 8th grader I’ve met. This sounded more like someone who was still in elementary school but in a situation that was for middle graders. Which made the story feel a little off. I did like the aspects of her autistic brother and the feelings she had for her mom and her brother. It really got to the heart of the matter about how she felt she was being left out. Which in my experience happens a lot. When my oldest was diagnosed with type one diabetes earlier this year. Everything for our youngest was put on hold because of doctor appointments and hospital visits while we got her sugar under control. And we know from chatting with her that she felt left out during that time.
In the end, I think this one would have been better if it would have been a high young adult title. As I do not think most middle graders will be interested in the situations that are presented in this story.
Go Into This One Knowing: Showing Without Telling, More Elementary vs. Middle Grade
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FTC Guidelines: In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. If am compensated for any reviews on this site I will state that post has been sponsored.
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