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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
This was a very inspiring read!
Thank you Shadow Mountain Publishing for the advance copy
This book goes up on my possible-to-read list for my kids in the future. They need such a story to ground them. I’m a big fan of middle grade and I found this book to be exceptionally intriguing, easy to read, simple to understand and very much relatable.
From the very first words I was hooked to the story. I loved how the characters were immediately believable and realistic. Flint‘s character – as young as he is – was incredibly truthful and honest. A 13 years old kid these days face the horrors of middle school and I love how it was portrayed within the story.
Bullying isn’t something you should stand back from or shy away from facing, yet a lot of kids face it every single day, for things they have no power over – like Flint‘s illness. It’s horrible and crippling and if someone thinks that it gets forgotten, big surprise, it doesn’t. A bullied kid will remember every single day for the rest of his/her life.
Parents, read this book, teach your kids to be kind and merciful, to be loving and friendly. Teach them to accept each other, to not call one another names, to look in the mirror and be proud of who they are and be an example for them to be proud of you.
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Full Review
Thank you Shadow Mountain Publishing for the advance copy
This book goes up on my possible-to-read list for my kids in the future. They need such a story to ground them. I’m a big fan of middle grade and I found this book to be exceptionally intriguing, easy to read, simple to understand and very much relatable.
From the very first words I was hooked to the story. I loved how the characters were immediately believable and realistic. Flint‘s character – as young as he is – was incredibly truthful and honest. A 13 years old kid these days face the horrors of middle school and I love how it was portrayed within the story.
Bullying isn’t something you should stand back from or shy away from facing, yet a lot of kids face it every single day, for things they have no power over – like Flint‘s illness. It’s horrible and crippling and if someone thinks that it gets forgotten, big surprise, it doesn’t. A bullied kid will remember every single day for the rest of his/her life.
Parents, read this book, teach your kids to be kind and merciful, to be loving and friendly. Teach them to accept each other, to not call one another names, to look in the mirror and be proud of who they are and be an example for them to be proud of you.
....
Full Review
Mark Twain Award nominee 2020-21. Another great book from this pair of authors, after the fantastic Mustaches for Maddie. Another story of a kid who has a serious health problem but does amazing things anyway.
Wow. I’m surprised I’ve not heard more about this book. 13-year-old Flint has been nicknamed “Squint” due to a degenerative eye disease that keeps him from seeing clearly. He’s an artist who loves drawing and is feverishly working to finish his comic book for an upcoming competition. Accustomed to being rejected by the popular crow, Flint is surprised when a new girl named McKell strikes up a conversation and asks for Flint’s help with a project. Can he trust her not to abandon the friendship once she has what she needs? Awww. I just loved Flint’s (AKA “Squint”) voice, the things he learned, and the relationships he developed. Such a touching story including accepting challenges, facing terminal illness, and dealing with painful loss. It’s also worth noting this was co-written by husband/wife team — and they’ve written other novels together (including Mustaches for Maddie, which is now going on my TBR list as it’s based on their own real -life daughter’s experience with a brain tumor).
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
Flint has a vision disorder that can't be totally corrected with glasses, causing his classmates to give him the nickname Squint. He loves to draw and so he gives his superhero superpowers as well as his nickname. He gets bullied at school and when one of the girls who was part of the group tries to befriend him, he isn't sure if it is a trick or not.
Good read alike for fans of Wonder and Out of My Mind
Good read alike for fans of Wonder and Out of My Mind
Excellent MG novel, easily as good as ‘Wonder’. This story, about a boy who loves to draw comics, but who is steadily going blind, is filled with warmth, humour, and pathos. Highly recommended.
This is what middle-grade contemporary is all about. My favorite element of this book is that it pushes just past the "I'm going to stand up to the bullies because they're mean and I'm nice" and into the "Wow, we're all actually people and there are ways my actions contribute to the meanness of middle school, too" without giving mean characters a pass for their actions. It does wrap up really neatly/optimistically at the end in terms of Flint's disability, which could be a little disappointing for kids with visual impairment who see themselves in Flint.