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bickie's review against another edition
4.0
Authentic 11-year-old voice, though told in 3rd person primarily through his perspective. Addresses many issues children experience - unfamiliarity with certain terms and guesses about what they mean, reluctance to try new things, adults with mysterious behavior and difficult backgrounds, guilt and shame, uncertainty about how to handle situations. While this book covers many tough topics (Jim Crow past, war trauma, guilt and shame passed generation to generation), it does so in a way accessible to the target middle-grade audience, mixing a poop-slinging game with the fact that a blind grandfather is too "concerned" (aka scared) to go outside of his own house. Best for ages 9-12 [2-3 mild curse words such as pissed, damn, hell; mild romance (crush, hand-holding) of older (age 14) brother); complex issues but not really delving into older-kid identity too much].
kaitidid's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
heyhank's review against another edition
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
sarahanne8382's review against another edition
4.0
As usual, Jason Reynolds delivers a solid middle-grade story, with the excellent audio narration of Guy Lockhart.
Brothers Genie and Ernie leave their home in the Bronx for a summer in rural Virginia with their grandparents. The set up reminds me of all my cousins who would come to visit for the summer because I lived near our grandparents who lived in the country, and they lived in far off cities.
I enjoyed getting a Reynolds story in a different setting than usual, but still full of everything that makes his stories great.
Brothers Genie and Ernie leave their home in the Bronx for a summer in rural Virginia with their grandparents. The set up reminds me of all my cousins who would come to visit for the summer because I lived near our grandparents who lived in the country, and they lived in far off cities.
I enjoyed getting a Reynolds story in a different setting than usual, but still full of everything that makes his stories great.
jessicary's review against another edition
3.0
Even though I gave this one three stars, it really is nourishing for the soul. I was reminded of my own grandparents and their quirks many times. While I definitely don't need a happy ending, I did feel like I wanted more closure between the dad and Grandpop. Or least a more in-depth conversation. This would be a heart warming read or a even a great read aloud for middle school students.
shadowykittenwizard's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
madmollyann's review against another edition
4.0
As usual, Reynolds brings us deep into the minds of charmingly accurate adolescents as they struggle to understand their place in their family and the world. Well done.
carolineinthelibrary's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so touching and wonderful. It encompasses so many important messages - some that kids will appreciate right off the bat, like the importance of family, bravery, and honesty, and some that I think would be perfect to unpack in a classroom discussion - generational trauma, race, and again, the definition of bravery. Once again I'm blown away by a Jason Reynolds book!
mysteriesbooks's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0