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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
This book is fantastic, it sucked me in and didn’t let me go, even when I was crying so hard that I could barely see the words on the page. This story is just so emotional and raw, but at the same time uplifting and wonderful. I would highly recommend this book for someone who was considering being a foster parent as this book shows how when done right, you can make a world of difference in a child’s life. Even if it is only for 80 days.
SOOO GOOD! I realize it's Junior Fiction, but the teacher that recommended it to me was right- it's a great book! As a mom & as a teacher, I was really touched by this story. I couldn't put it down & cried like I do when I read Where the Red Fern Grows- it really got to me. It's not about hunting dogs though- it's about a young girl in a foster home & the family & how they change her. I couldn't wait to bring it to school & tell all my fellow book-lovers about it & force someone to take it home RIGHT NOW & read it!
Oh, the feels!
First, I read this because I have a 10yo girl who was in her school's Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl team this past year as a 4th grader. Anyone who's on the team in 4th grade (there are only 2) is automatically on the team in 5th grade. So, she wanted to get ahead of the game and read all the books this summer. We decided to read them together.
I seriously cried through the second half of this book. I think it was the mom in me and I'm not sure my Little is going to have the same reaction. I enjoyed this one and it was a very quick read. The subject matter seems kind of heavy for something that's written on a 3rd grade level, but it was definitely good.
First, I read this because I have a 10yo girl who was in her school's Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl team this past year as a 4th grader. Anyone who's on the team in 4th grade (there are only 2) is automatically on the team in 5th grade. So, she wanted to get ahead of the game and read all the books this summer. We decided to read them together.
I seriously cried through the second half of this book. I think it was the mom in me and I'm not sure my Little is going to have the same reaction. I enjoyed this one and it was a very quick read. The subject matter seems kind of heavy for something that's written on a 3rd grade level, but it was definitely good.
Glad I was introduced to this book through the Global Read aloud. Destined to become a classroom favorite read aloud.
I loved this book so much! It was a quick read and really kicked me in the feels. It made me miss my t.v show the fosters less. I loved the family we meet and also the main character path. I just wish the book was longer!
This was a great, quick read. About a young girl who enters foster care and goes to live with the Murphy’s. This book was so powerful in showing the importance and impact that a foster family can have on a child in the system. How these kids often don’t understand what a normal functioning family looks like. They need positive role models to show them what roles mothers, fathers, and siblings should look like. Great read!
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It feels lame to not like this book because it doesn't come across as believable and is too saccharine. But it's true that for those reasons I can't give it higher than 3 stars.
1. Carley doesn't come across as hostile as most teenaged foster children are apt to be. I don't have any real world experience being a foster parent, but it seems like even a typical teen has more of a chip on her shoulder than Carley has, so I imagine a foster child to be even worse. Carley has almost no adjustment problems being taken away from her abusive stepfather and mother and being thrown into a new family. She makes a new friend and, again, is more well-adjusted than a typical teen.
2. I know it was a plot device to get Carley and the reader to adore Mrs. Murphy, but the police officer who interrogated Carley on what she did to cause the abuse was horrendous. Who would interview a victim of abuse, particularly a child, and ask what they did to deserve it?! Completely not believable!
What I found realistic and heartbreaking is that you feel for Carley at the end, and it must be so painful to be a foster parent.
1. Carley doesn't come across as hostile as most teenaged foster children are apt to be. I don't have any real world experience being a foster parent, but it seems like even a typical teen has more of a chip on her shoulder than Carley has, so I imagine a foster child to be even worse. Carley has almost no adjustment problems being taken away from her abusive stepfather and mother and being thrown into a new family. She makes a new friend and, again, is more well-adjusted than a typical teen.
2. I know it was a plot device to get Carley and the reader to adore Mrs. Murphy, but the police officer who interrogated Carley on what she did to cause the abuse was horrendous. Who would interview a victim of abuse, particularly a child, and ask what they did to deserve it?! Completely not believable!
What I found realistic and heartbreaking is that you feel for Carley at the end, and it must be so painful to be a foster parent.
Wonderful read. The student book club as school was reading it and raved about it. It really highlights the power of an adult in a child's life when they most need someone to love them unconditionally.