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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
Such a sweet book. The perfect palate cleanser after the bag of rocks that was "Gone Girl" and the sharp tongued vapidness of "Before I Fall."
This book left me feeling charmed and peaceful and entertained. It reminded me a lot of Wes Anderson movies.
Katie Klise, why haven't we met before? Heaven knows i've shelved countless copies of your books at work, but I am only now reading one! Shame that.
This book left me feeling charmed and peaceful and entertained. It reminded me a lot of Wes Anderson movies.
Katie Klise, why haven't we met before? Heaven knows i've shelved countless copies of your books at work, but I am only now reading one! Shame that.
Short, yet interesting. There aren't too many middle grade novels that talk about the eighties. It's a feel good novel with a large bit of self reflection, which I can appreciate in this age where the dystopian novel reigns supreme. It's handling of severe hoarding is well done and I'm curious to learn more about the disorder.
Second book I am reading along with my students for SSYRA. It was a nice read that had a happy ending.
Beignet (Benny to all) is living with a hoarder -- his dad, Calvin; his mother, Nola,has left because Calvin won't throw anything away, including the splinter from the holy cross. The tiny town they live in has won a contest for America's Most Charming Small Town based on a fictitious entry by a local teacher, so the locals decide that Calvin's house needs a clean-up. Just as that commences, a tornado destroys the town. In a highly improbable ending, the contest sponsors decide to rebuild the town as depicted in the winning entry, Calvin is cured by psychiatric medication, and Nola returns to live next door. Nice characters, but I really couldn't get over the miracle hoarding cure.
I thought this was an interesting subject matter for a middle grade book.
A quick, fun read. Something that we all need from time to time.
Twelve-year-old Benny has never known a life outside of his tiny Missouri town of Dennis Acres. (Fun fact: this is a real neighborhood outside of Joplin, Missouri, where my grandparents were living when this book takes place!) Benny enjoys school and has a warm relationship with his teacher, and he’s friends with nearly all of the town’s fifty residents. But life at home is tough. When Benny’s mom leaves, he is left with his dad who refuses to throw anything away. His mom says she will only return when Benny’s dad starts to confront his hoarding addiction, which the whole town knows that will happen “when pigs fly.”
An opportunity for some change arises when the town’s Kindergarten teacher “misrepresents” the crumbling Dennis Acres in America’s Most Charming Town contest, and pressure mounts for the citizens (and especially Benny’s dad) to clean up their act. But nobody in Dennis Acres is prepared for the real changes that are ahead.
This novel is NOT what I expected having read a few of Klise’s other books. I actually picked it up for Charleston, who just finished her 43 Old Cemetery Road series (and LOVED it), but after previewing this I realized it was too mature for him. I got sucked into the story, though, and did not stop reading until the shocking final page. Set in 1983 and told from Benny’s perspective, with transcripts from the local radio show sprinkled throughout, this reminded me quite a lot of Dear Mr. Henshaw. Like that iconic book, this one grapples with challenging themes of poverty, divorce, and seemingly unattainable dreams.
I would not recommend this to younger readers (it’s too mature for kids under ten and likely would not appeal to kids under middle school age). But as an adult reader I fell hard for this story. Benny is a remarkable yet believable young protagonist, and my mama’s heart broke for him in his difficult circumstances. The book offers a helpful glimpse into what life may look like for kids of a mentally ill parent. Coincidently, is the FIFTH book I’ve read this year with a theme of hoarding (what on earth?!) and I appreciated reading about it from the perspective of a child.
Though the subject matter is weighty, the story contains plenty of levity. Benny’s neighbors are quirky and his dry insight into their behavior literally made me laugh out loud. There are also some hilarious 80s references and funny foreshadowing of technological advancements to come (like the invention of some strange thing called the “world wide nougat” with “yarn” connecting people around the world).
The book does not sugarcoat the tragedies (and there are many) but ends on an uplifting note (after some huge story points I didn’t see coming). It would make a great book to discuss with your (older) middle grade reader.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (Rounded to 5 Stars on Goodreads) // Book Format: Print
An opportunity for some change arises when the town’s Kindergarten teacher “misrepresents” the crumbling Dennis Acres in America’s Most Charming Town contest, and pressure mounts for the citizens (and especially Benny’s dad) to clean up their act. But nobody in Dennis Acres is prepared for the real changes that are ahead.
This novel is NOT what I expected having read a few of Klise’s other books. I actually picked it up for Charleston, who just finished her 43 Old Cemetery Road series (and LOVED it), but after previewing this I realized it was too mature for him. I got sucked into the story, though, and did not stop reading until the shocking final page. Set in 1983 and told from Benny’s perspective, with transcripts from the local radio show sprinkled throughout, this reminded me quite a lot of Dear Mr. Henshaw. Like that iconic book, this one grapples with challenging themes of poverty, divorce, and seemingly unattainable dreams.
I would not recommend this to younger readers (it’s too mature for kids under ten and likely would not appeal to kids under middle school age). But as an adult reader I fell hard for this story. Benny is a remarkable yet believable young protagonist, and my mama’s heart broke for him in his difficult circumstances. The book offers a helpful glimpse into what life may look like for kids of a mentally ill parent. Coincidently, is the FIFTH book I’ve read this year with a theme of hoarding (what on earth?!) and I appreciated reading about it from the perspective of a child.
Though the subject matter is weighty, the story contains plenty of levity. Benny’s neighbors are quirky and his dry insight into their behavior literally made me laugh out loud. There are also some hilarious 80s references and funny foreshadowing of technological advancements to come (like the invention of some strange thing called the “world wide nougat” with “yarn” connecting people around the world).
The book does not sugarcoat the tragedies (and there are many) but ends on an uplifting note (after some huge story points I didn’t see coming). It would make a great book to discuss with your (older) middle grade reader.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (Rounded to 5 Stars on Goodreads) // Book Format: Print
My review is here... It does contain spoilers.
http://stackedshelves.blogspot.com/
http://stackedshelves.blogspot.com/
12 year old Benny Summers is not only dealing with his parents breaking up, but is also trying to get his dad clean up their cluttered house. His dad doesn't understand why anyone would throw away perfectly good collectables such as pizza boxes and broken items from the dump. He sees value in each thing he brings into the house and no one can convince him to part with it. Benny finds support from the neighbors in his small town - but will his father except the help being offered and will cleaning up the house be enough to convince his mother to come home?
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes