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bibliobrandie's review
5.0
Oh my word, I loved this book. Set in Maine, it's a story filled with wonder and hope. I loved all the characters so much. I also learned so much about dowsing and rocks and science.
sleepgoblin's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
mamaorgana80's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I learned so much. Science teachers will love this book!
namaenani's review
2.0
I had trouble getting into this one. It felt like the main character was kind of empty, right down to nearly no reaction to their house being destroyed. Wasn't sure where the story was going at any point, and a lot of character choices didn't make a lot of sense...
eakrumins's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ljrinaldi's review
4.0
Henry is from a family of dousers, people who can sense where water is. He has not tried to douse yet, and fears that the skill has not been passed down to him, but is afraid to find out, so takes a branch to try it first without anyone watching. And that, perhaps is what causes the meteorite to fall from the sky.
Henry is a very callable narrator of this story, both sure of himself, and unsure about other things. When his house is washed away, he comments that you can't see the wall he built, but he can build another one.
A quiet story of hardship, but not in the way you might think. There is a bit of magic in here.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
Henry is a very callable narrator of this story, both sure of himself, and unsure about other things. When his house is washed away, he comments that you can't see the wall he built, but he can build another one.
A quiet story of hardship, but not in the way you might think. There is a bit of magic in here.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
aamna_theinkslinger's review
4.0
Top 5 Reasons to Read Down to Earth
Reason #1- The characters are delightful and warm. Our protagonist, Henry, is a curious and earnest boy who loves to learn. His relationship with his family, his love for his little sister, and his best friend, James are so wholesome.
The sheer innocence and warm feelings that the characters here gave me are the reason why I love middle-grade so much.
Reason #2- Admittedly, even though the story is very slow-moving, the writing is very beautiful. It's not too flowery or complicated, but just a perfect blend of comforting and soothing. You'll flow through the pages once you begin.
Reason #3- I truly believe that even though this book is middle-grade, readers of all ages can enjoy this. I really appreciated the portrayal of love, family bonds, friendship, and community.
It also shows its readers how, in a world where we always need a reason for something to happen, some things just happen and little miracles exist in the tiniest things if we look for them.
Reason #4- I loved the rich sense of support and acceptance through the book as the protagonist leans on his family and his family leans on their neighbors in a difficult time. It has some important lessons imbibed in the story that anyone can benefit from.
Reason #5- I also loved the science included in the story. It will be a blast for all space nerds and rock enthusiasts. It's not too heavy, but just enough to amaze you with fascinating facts about space, meteors, and geology.
I ALSO HAVE AN EXCLUSIVE AUTHOR INTERVIEW OUT ON MY BLOG, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.
Reason #1- The characters are delightful and warm. Our protagonist, Henry, is a curious and earnest boy who loves to learn. His relationship with his family, his love for his little sister, and his best friend, James are so wholesome.
The sheer innocence and warm feelings that the characters here gave me are the reason why I love middle-grade so much.
Reason #2- Admittedly, even though the story is very slow-moving, the writing is very beautiful. It's not too flowery or complicated, but just a perfect blend of comforting and soothing. You'll flow through the pages once you begin.
Reason #3- I truly believe that even though this book is middle-grade, readers of all ages can enjoy this. I really appreciated the portrayal of love, family bonds, friendship, and community.
It also shows its readers how, in a world where we always need a reason for something to happen, some things just happen and little miracles exist in the tiniest things if we look for them.
Reason #4- I loved the rich sense of support and acceptance through the book as the protagonist leans on his family and his family leans on their neighbors in a difficult time. It has some important lessons imbibed in the story that anyone can benefit from.
Reason #5- I also loved the science included in the story. It will be a blast for all space nerds and rock enthusiasts. It's not too heavy, but just enough to amaze you with fascinating facts about space, meteors, and geology.
I ALSO HAVE AN EXCLUSIVE AUTHOR INTERVIEW OUT ON MY BLOG, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.
librarypatronus's review
4.0
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC of this in exchange for my honest review
This was absolutely adorable! I feel like it’s hard to find stories with homeschooled kids, especially positive portrayals, so this was really exciting to me - I’ll definitely be suggesting it to my 8 year old. Sometimes magical realism is something I struggle with as it is either not magical enough or too weird, but this was the perfect level of whimsy, that left me not really caring if the rock was attracted to water or not, because either way the story was lovely. Birdie was the sweetest!
This was absolutely adorable! I feel like it’s hard to find stories with homeschooled kids, especially positive portrayals, so this was really exciting to me - I’ll definitely be suggesting it to my 8 year old. Sometimes magical realism is something I struggle with as it is either not magical enough or too weird, but this was the perfect level of whimsy, that left me not really caring if the rock was attracted to water or not, because either way the story was lovely. Birdie was the sweetest!
bookishjaybird's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.25
I put off reading Down to Earth for a while, and I’m so sad that I did! It was such a quick and fun read.
I loved Henry, I thought he was absolutely adorable and loved how curious and wanting to learn he was. Birdie was so cute, and honestly most of the characters were. I loved the family dynamics that they had and how everyone fit into it, and it was just really a cute read.
The plot was interesting, and I wish it was longer so we’d gotten to actually see more with Henry and the meteor. I think my only issue was how silly the antagonist came off and the resolve with him, but other than that it was such a fast and fun read!
I loved Henry, I thought he was absolutely adorable and loved how curious and wanting to learn he was. Birdie was so cute, and honestly most of the characters were. I loved the family dynamics that they had and how everyone fit into it, and it was just really a cute read.
The plot was interesting, and I wish it was longer so we’d gotten to actually see more with Henry and the meteor. I think my only issue was how silly the antagonist came off and the resolve with him, but other than that it was such a fast and fun read!
sd10243's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0