A Practically Perfect Middle Grade Read

Survival Strategies of the Almost Brave by Jen White
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Welcome to the most perfect middle grade book I've read in a long while.
It has
1. an endearing 12-year-old protagonist who takes her job as protector of her little sister very seriously.
2. a heart-pounding plot, where the palpitations begin on page one.
3. achingly beautiful prose in which every word seems to be exactly the right one.
and
4. enough fun and interesting animals facts woven throughout to delight boys and girls alike.
I thought about this book long after I finished it. I'm pretty sure you will, too.

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Go Behind the Scenes with Not in the Script

Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For me, one of the things that elevates a book to I'll-read-it-again status is when the characters feel like friends. Not in the Script has that quality in spades. The characters are multi-layered and so well imagined and written, that I felt like I would recognize them on the street (or the TV screen) if they walked by. Their banter is real-sounding and laugh out loud funny at times. By the end of the book, I had warm feelings for all of the characters, even those who'd made some questionable choices.
Another thing I enjoy is when a book takes me to a place I've never been before. I most often have to read fantasy or historical fiction to get that fix, but Amy Finnegan did that for me with a contemporary. Her behind-the-scenes at a TV series is fascinating, and from what I've read from those in the know, she nailed the details.
What a fun read!