Tag Archives: intergenerational friendship

MMGM Review: From the Desk of Lizzie Lazowski by Melody J. Bremen

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From the Desk of Lizzie Lazowski by Melanie Bremen

From the Desk of Lizzie Lazowski
Melody J. Bremen
Published August 20, 2024

Amazon | Goodreads

About From the Desk of Lizzie Lazowski

When 8th grader Lizzie Lazowski receives a pen pal assignment, she puts her letter into a bottle and throws it into the ocean. A few days later, she receives an anonymous response in her mailbox. She continues to write to her mystery pen pal, answering prompts like what’s your favorite food (milkshakes), and who is your best friend (she doesn’t have one at the moment).

Through her letters, she tells about her biggest dream: to secure a spot at Northcrest High School for the Arts. If she submits a creative project—a true story about one person—she can win a scholarship. And Chloe, the new girl at school, just might be the one to help her complete the project (and maybe even fill the best friend role).

As the deadline for the scholarship draws near, her project flops and her budding friendship goes horribly wrong. All she has is the help of a mystery pen pal to put her life back on track.

This companion novel to The Boy Who Painted the World delivers a story about friendship, forgiveness, and self-discovery.

My Review

I really enjoyed this one. The story is told through emails between thirteen-year-old Lizzie and an anonymous pen pal as well as text message conversations and video transcripts. This made it seem like the story moved pretty quickly. The letters remain mostly pretty short, and they’re filled with funny moments and quippy phrases.

We learn that Lizzie’s pen pal (an adult) has permission from Lizzie’s mom to correspond with her, but until the end of the book, Lizzie doesn’t know the identity of her mystery friend. She learns a lot through the messages back and forth. Sometimes just writing out her thoughts helps her sort through how she feels, which I found pretty relatable! Haha.

Lizzie’s mom has been in a long-term relationship, and Lizzie’s feelings about the relationship and possible changes to her family also drive some of the story. She has pretty mixed feelings, which I also found realistic and understandable.

If you like stories about intergenerational friendships and unexpected connections, I definitely recommend this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white. One character is disabled after having had polio as a child. Lizzie’s dad died while serving in the military when Lizzie was three. Lizzie is a cancer survivor.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

Review: Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry

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Tree. Table. Book.
Lois Lowry
Clarion Books
Published April 23, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Tree. Table. Book.

Everyone knows the two Sophies are best friends. One is in elementary school, and one is . . . well . . . in a little trouble of late. She’s elderly, sure, but she’s always been on her game, the best friend any girl struggling to fit in could ever have. The Sophies drink tea, have strong opinions about pretty much everything, and love each other dearly.

Now it seems the elder Sophie is having memory problems, burning teakettles, and forgetting just about everything. It looks like her son is going to come and get her and steal her away forever. Young Sophie isn’t having that. Not one bit. So she sets out to help elder Sophie’s memory, with the aid of her neighborhood friends Ralphie and Oliver.

But when she opens the floodgates of elder Sophie’s memories, she winds up listening to stories that will illustrate just how much there is to know about her dear friend, stories of war, hunger, cruelty, and ultimately love.

My Review

I read this book cover to cover in one sitting. Sophie’s voice drew me in immediately. She’s chatty and clever, and I loved the connection she shared with the other Sophie. Her neighborhood was also really neat, with families that had close connections and looked out for one another.

Sophie’s desire to prove that her friend is not unwell drives the story forward. She looks up information about cognitive testing and then proceeds to try to walk her friend through the questions in the test. As she does this, she begins to see her friend in a new way, and her friend shares stories with her about her childhood in Poland.

I was a little older than Sophie when my grandmother was diagnosed with an aggressive form of dementia. It happened so quickly that I missed those beginning days, and by the time I understood what was happening, it was too late for her to tell me the stories she still needed to share.

Reading about Sophie having those moments and sharing those memories brought me back to those early days of my grandmother’s illness and made me wonder what stories she would have told me about her childhood.

Sophie learns a lot about how to support a friend gracefully and what it means to work to stay connected. Her family also supports her connection with her friend, and I loved that, too.

This is a bittersweet story about the power of intergenerational friendships and the importance of passing stories from one generation to the next. I loved it.

Content Notes for Tree. Table. Book.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Elderly Sophie is Jewish. One of the neighbor boys is neurodivergent.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
On one page, a word is written with the first letter and the rest marked with asterisks.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
References to Catholic beliefs. References to Sunday church services.

Violent Content
Sophie learns some information that she pieces together to realize is about the Nazi occupation of a Polish village during World War II. She hears a description of men rounded up and shipped somewhere to work.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Saints and Misfits by S. K. Ali

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Saints and Misfits
S. K. Ali
Salaam Reads
Published June 13, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Saints and Misfits

How much can you tell about a person just by looking at them?

Janna Yusuf knows a lot of people can’t figure out what to make of her…an Arab Indian-American hijabi teenager who is a Flannery O’Connor obsessed book nerd, aspiring photographer, and sometime graphic novelist is not exactly easy to put into a box.

And Janna suddenly finds herself caring what people think. Or at least what a certain boy named Jeremy thinks. Not that she would ever date him—Muslim girls don’t date. Or they shouldn’t date. Or won’t? Janna is still working all this out.

While her heart might be leading her in one direction, her mind is spinning in others. She is trying to decide what kind of person she wants to be, and what it means to be a saint, a misfit, or a monster. Except she knows a monster…one who happens to be parading around as a saint…Will she be the one to call him out on it? What will people in her tightknit Muslim community think of her then?

SAINTS AND MISFITS is an unforgettable debut novel that feels like a modern day My So-Called Life…starring a Muslim teen.

My Review

This book made me think a lot about the way that we tend to reduce people to being just one or two things– because it did the opposite so well. Each character is so different and has so many layers. I feel like we often see people of faith represented in sort of cookie cutter ways, and I loved seeing all the varied representations of different types of people here. It might be the most honest, authentic stories centered around a faith community that I’ve ever read. (I loved ONCE WAS LOST by Sara Zarr, too.)

Janna faces her own misjudgments about the people around her as well as being pleasantly– and sometimes unpleasantly– surprised by those around her. I loved her relationship with her elderly neighbor and the way his friendship impacted her and her friendships with Tats and Sarah and Sausun. Janna learns a lot about courage, finding her voice, and learning to speak up for herself. It’s about confronting evil even when it emerges in what should be a sacred space.

The book doesn’t just tackle hard issues and relationships and faith questions, though. It’s quirky and funny and so much fun to read. Janna’s voice is often self-deprecating and wry and smart. I loved that.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading SAINTS AND MISFITS, and I totally bawled through the big climactic scenes where Janna does the thing she most needs to do. MISFIT IN LOVE, a new adventure about Janna and her family and friends, comes out soon, and I really can’t wait to read it.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Most major characters are Muslim.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content – Trigger Warning
A boy grabs a girl and pins her down, groping her against her will.

Spiritual Content
Janna references prayer and attends several events at the mosque with her family. Her uncle is the imam, and as part of her job helping with the mosque website, she helps with the grammar of some answers to questions people in the community have asked about Islam.

Violent Content
See romance trigger warning. There are also some instances of online bullying. Girls post pictures of Janna without her hijab and others post cruel comments on the photos.

Drug Content
Janna and her friend attend a party where teens are drinking. Janna does not drink alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog. I received a free copy of SAINTS AND MISFITS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: These Unlucky Stars by Gillian McDunn

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These Unlucky Stars
Gillian McDunn
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Published March 2, 2021

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About These Unlucky Stars

From the author of CATERPILLAR SUMMER comes a new heartfelt story of a girl’s unexpected friendship that changes her forever.

Annie has always been the odd one out in her family. Her practical dad and brother just don’t understand the way she thinks. Ever since her mother left a few years ago, Annie has been reluctant to get close to anyone.
When a poor decision lands Annie in hot water, she must make amends by watching her elderly neighbor’s weird dog all summer. As Annie begins to connect with her neighbor Gloria, it becomes clear that Gloria won’t be able to live on her own for much longer. But it’s this brief and important friendship that gives Annie the confidence to let people in, and see how rich life can be when you decide to make your own luck and chart your own path to happiness.

Perfect for fans of Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Gillian McDunn has crafted another touching story that will remain in readers’ hearts.

My Review

I’ve been a fan of books by Gillian McDunn since her debut (which includes a girl fishing! Be still my heart!), so I was really excited to read THESE UNLUCKY STARS. I also tend to love intergenerational friendships and older characters who are prickly on the outside but have a heart of gold underneath that grouchy exterior. AND I love books about small southern towns. So this was pretty much a guaranteed win for me.

The book has so many great characters. From Otto, the unique dog and his protective, loyal spirit, to the BBQ owners who dote on Annie’s family like adopted grandparents, to the chatty, mischievous mayor’s son who wants to help people.

I loved the setting– the small town, the mountain landscape, and the southern expressions that appeared here and there and made me miss my family in North Carolina.

Most of all, I loved the emotional journey that Annie traveled. On page one, she’s an island of grief over the loss of her mom, and she feels trapped by bad luck. But as she’s faced again and again with opportunities to help people get ready for the town festival and is forced to work off her guilt helping Gloria, she begins to see things in new ways. She begins to come out of her shell and to heal from her grief.

Though I adore this book, there are a couple things I wish had been different. One is a spoiler, so scroll down to the end for that one, if you’re interested. The other thing is that we didn’t really get to see her dad’s reaction to the parade float she made for his shop, and I really wanted that moment. I think it would have been a cool way to resolve the issue between her and her dad over her artwork and a moment for him to show support. He does make a supportive comment, but it’s kind of quick and more really about the fact that Annie took on the job of the float, not really seeing and appreciating her work.

On the whole, though, I really enjoyed this book with its small town setting, intergenerational friendship, and tender exploration of grief and healing. I think fans of McDunn’s other books will definitely want to check this one out as well as fans of NEST by Esther Ehrlich.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
One (minor) character has mental health issues. Two men (minor characters) are married.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Annie worries that her dad may be interested in a new woman.

Spiritual Content
Annie’s mom told her she was born under an unlucky star. Annie clings to that identity and every time something bad happens, she chalks it up to inescapable bad luck. One character makes a reference to the Heavens being in charge of the living.

Violent Content
A woman falls and is injured. A boy punches the wall in anger.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of THESE UNLUCKY STARS in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Spoiler – the Other Reason I Struggled with These Unlucky Stars

The other thing that I struggled with in the book is that Annie learns her mom has bipolar disorder. She didn’t like the way she felt on medication and stopped taking it. Then she realized her illness and the impulsiveness it caused put her children in danger, so she left them to protect them from her.

I feel like I’ve seen that in stories a lot lately– the bipolar parent who leaves the family– and I guess I kind of hoped THESE UNLUCKY STARS would take a different approach. I also tend to struggle with books that show people not taking meds because they don’t like how they feel– not that that doesn’t happen, but I guess because I feel like it’s a reason that’s overused.