Dear Sweet Pea

Dear Sweet Pea
by Julie Murphy

From the publisher:
"The first middle grade novel from Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’ (now a popular Netflix film), is a funny, heartwarming story perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead, Ali Benjamin, and Holly Goldberg Sloan.

Patricia “Sweet Pea” DiMarco wasn’t sure what to expect when her parents announced they were getting a divorce. She never could have imagined that they would have the “brilliant” idea of living in nearly identical houses on the same street. In the one house between them lives their eccentric neighbor Miss Flora Mae, the famed local advice columnist behind “Miss Flora Mae I?”

Dividing her time between two homes is not easy. And it doesn’t help that at school, Sweet Pea is now sitting right next to her ex–best friend, Kiera, a daily reminder of the friendship that once was. Things might be unbearable if Sweet Pea didn’t have Oscar—her new best friend—and her fifteen-pound cat, Cheese.

Then one day Flora leaves for a trip and asks Sweet Pea to forward her the letters for the column. And Sweet Pea happens to recognize the handwriting on one of the envelopes.

What she decides to do with that letter sets off a chain of events that will forever change the lives of Sweet Pea DiMarco, her family, and many of the readers of “Miss Flora Mae I?”

This is a very sweet and heart-warming book and I enjoyed it. The characters are so well drawn and vary from eclectic to mainstream and from popular to bullied, but are always relatable. I loved the voice of Sweet Pea, who had some really big things to deal with and sometimes made stupid decisions, but who had many nuggets of wisdom to share with the reader.

"My mom always says that sometimes the best thing you can do to show a bully that they're in the wrong is to live your very best life."

"Sometimes it's easy to forget that quiet moments mean just as much as the loud ones, because it's not always about moving. Sometimes it's about sitting perfectly and quietly still."

I really appreciated the fact that although Sweet Pea's parents got divorced, they tried very hard to do what they thought was right for Sweet Pea. Not everything they did turned out right, but they worked hard and amicably to make the change as easy as possible for their daughter.

I also appreciated matter-of-fact way the author dealt with several issues. Sweet Pea's weight, her father being gay, the diversity of the characters... those things were just a part of the whole story and not the main focus or thrown in your face as politically correct.

Oh, the friend drama of middle school! There are many of my students who will relate to this story and who might actually learn something from it.

Areas of concern:
*Bullying (for a variety of reasons)
*Divorce
*Dishonesty with friends
*A couple of minor swear words

Suggested Ages:
Booklist - Grades 4-8
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 8-12

The Start of You and Me

The Start of You and Me
by Emery Lord

From the publisher:
"It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?"

So many things to love about this book!  It didn't tick any of my YA pet peeve boxes, and that is really saying something.  Some of my favorite things about this book:
*No insta-love! 
That's right, these characters get to know each other and become good friends before anything else happens. What?! Does that really happen in life?! I loved their friendship and the fun they had together.
*Loving, over-protective parents. 
So often in YA, authors further the story by having completely absent parents (one character had that, but the main character definitely had involved parents). Paige's parents are divorced but both very involved in her life. I was also glad to see her grow closer to her little sister by the end of the book. 
*Supportive, fun, and loving girl friends. 
I'm so over mean girls. It was very refreshing to read about a close group of friends who were always there for each other. A favorite quote from the book:

“In friendship we are all debtors. We all owe each other for a thousand small kindnesses, for little moments of grace in the chaos.” 

*A loving, albeit forgetful-because-of-Alzheimer's grandmother. 
I loved that Paige was so close to her grandmother and told her everything. Her grandmother was a role model for her because she had continued to live a full life even after losing her husband. How important that was to Paige who had lost her first boyfriend and was struggling to move on with her life.
*The eventual love interest is not an amazing athlete, definitely not the coolest kid in school, is always compared to his much cooler cousin.... He is a Quiz Bowl nerd and I loved that!
*Caring and inspiring teachers. 
I hate books that have teachers ignoring bad behavior, or even encouraging it. I know so many good and wonderful teachers who have made differences in lives, so that is good to see portrayed in a YA book.
*I love that Paige is a goal-setter. 
She knows what she wants and knows what she needs to do to accomplish it (although she was mistaken about some things), so she makes her list of goals and sticks to it.
*This is my nerdiness coming out, but I loved the Pride and Prejudice references. 
Paige and Max's argument over who the better character was - Jane or Elizabeth - was perfect, and actually made me rethink some of my views on the subject. 
*And oh, so many good quotes in this one! Here are a few of my favorites:

“In books, sometimes the foreshadowing is so obvious that you know what’s going to happen. But knowing what happens isn’t the same as knowing how it happens.  Getting there is the best part.” 

In speaking of why we reread books we know don't end well ( Romeo and Juliet ,Wuthering Heights ... ):

“The point is that we already know it doesn’t work out, but we reread them anyway, because the good stuff that comes before the ending is worth it.” 

And one last one on friendship:

“Because with true friends, no one is keeping score. But it still feels good to repay them – even in the tiniest increments.” 

I'm sure I could come up with many more lovable things about this book, but the ones I've listed should convince anyone to read it. I enjoyed it immensely! I will definitely be recommending this one to my middle schoolers, and look forward to more from this author.

Areas of concern:
*A small amount of bad language. 3 uses of the *s* word, 1 of *bs*, and one of *h*.
*Some talk of teenage partying, but nothing inappropriate by the main characters.
*Death of 2 people very important to the main character.
*Main character sneaks out at night to go help a friend.
*A couple of sweet kisses.

Suggested Ages:
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+
School Library Journal - Grades 7+

Love, Lucas

Love, Lucas
by Chantele Sedgwick

From the publisher:
"A powerful story of loss, second chances, and first love, reminiscent of Sarah Dessen and John Green.

When Oakley Nelson loses her older brother, Lucas, to cancer, she thinks she’ll never recover. Between her parents’ arguing and the battle she’s fighting with depression, she feels nothing inside but a hollow emptiness. When Mom suggests they spend a few months in California with Aunt Jo, Oakley isn’t sure a change of scenery will alter anything, but she’s willing to give it a try.

In California, Oakley discovers a sort of safety and freedom in Aunt Jo’s beach house. Once they’re settled, Mom hands her a notebook full of letters addressed to her—from Lucas. As Oakley reads one each day, she realizes how much he loved her, and each letter challenges her to be better and to continue to enjoy her life. He wants her to move on.

If only it were that easy.

But then a surfer named Carson comes into her life, and Oakley is blindsided. He makes her feel again. As she lets him in, she is surprised by how much she cares for him, and that’s when things get complicated. How can she fall in love and be happy when Lucas never got the chance to do those very same things?

With her brother’s dying words as guidance, Oakley knows she must learn to listen and trust again. But will she have to leave the past behind to find happiness in the future?"

I probably shouldn't say I enjoyed a book that is about a beloved brother dying of cancer, so I'll just say I was immediately caught up in it. I cared about the characters and felt Oakley's pain and confusion about life going on after you lose a loved one. I thought the way she would try to keep living, and then push people away again was very believable. If your children are wanting to read stories about love and death but you don't want them reading the language and content of a John Green book, or a Gayle Forman book - this is the book to point them towards. There is a sweet romance that doesn't go beyond kissing, there is little to no bad language, and even though the loss of a brother is tragic, it shows a girl learning to live through that experience. There is quite a shocking occurance towards the end of the book that really amps up the excitement level. But all ends as well as could be expected. 
I need more books like this in my middle school library. I will definitely be recommending this to my students.

Areas of concern:
Death of a loved one.
Possible divorce of parents.
A violent accident that involves blood, but is not too graphic.
Sweet romance with some kissing.

Suggested Ages:

School Library Journal - Grades 7-10

Bigger Than a Bread Box

Bigger Than a Bread Box
by Laurel Snyder

From the publisher:
"A magical breadbox that delivers whatever you wish for—as long as it fits inside? It's too good to be true! Twelve-year-old Rebecca is struggling with her parents' separation, as well as a sudden move to her Gran's house in another state. For a while, the magic bread box, discovered in the attic, makes life away from home a little easier. Then suddenly it starts to make things much, much more difficult, and Rebecca is forced to decide not just where, but who she really wants to be. Laurel Snyder's most thought-provoking book yet."

This was a mildly enjoyable book for me. I didn't really feel the magic that I was expecting to, and it never really pulled me in, but I did like it. I liked the characters and the settings and thought the author did a fantastic job of making you feel like you were in Baltimore and Atlanta. I guess my main problem with it was that it felt too much like realistic fiction to have magic involved. I kept waiting to hear that the bread box was symbolic and that Rebecca really was stealing everything because of the mess her parents made of her life. And the ending was a little strange and felt at the same time too open-ended and too neatly tied-up. I'm not sure how that is possible, but that is how I felt while reading it. However, there are probably many middle school students who can totally relate to the character of Rebecca. She stays real through the whole book even though she makes some bad decisions. And I appreciated the love she showed to her little brother. However, at one point she has an argument with her mother and tells her mom how selfish she is and how everything is about her mom and she didn't think about anyone else when making certain decisions, but I felt like Rebecca shared in that selfishness and was poor me-ing through most of the book.
All in all, I liked this book and will recommend it to my middle schoolers.

Areas of concern:
Parents fighting and them mom taking children and leaving.
12 year old puts herself in a very dangerous situation.
A lot of lying.

Suggested Ages:
Booklist - Grades 6-8
School Library Journal - Grades 4-6