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azajacks's review against another edition
5.0
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brogan7's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
This was another book I read with my 11-year-old son. We look for books that foster emotional intelligence without being traumatic, and that explore interpersonal relationships and life changes in a safe, interesting, entertaining way. This book served up on all these fronts.
The "intellectual interest" in this story was Gianna's twenty-five leaves identification project, which I actually thought was a bit boring by the end of it. There is nothing boring about leaves and trees when you're holding them yourself, or learning about their geographical distribution, but in the text, her much-delayed leaf project for became a bit belaboured, which made the story drag a bit.
Where Kate Messner shone in this book was the relationship between Gianna and her grandmother...her grandmother who is slowly losing her memory. It was so well done, and the grandmother was so kind and generous and loving to Gianna...and it was such a relief that the grandmother didn't die at the end! It was still super sad, because Gianna knows Nonna's in decline, but Kate Messner had the finesse not to end it with the grandmother dying.
A good read for middle grades.
The cover said an excellent read-aloud; I don't know about that, the language was fine but not so beautiful and the story was a bit longer than it needed to be, but for sensitive readers 9-12, it works well.
The "intellectual interest" in this story was Gianna's twenty-five leaves identification project, which I actually thought was a bit boring by the end of it. There is nothing boring about leaves and trees when you're holding them yourself, or learning about their geographical distribution, but in the text, her much-delayed leaf project for became a bit belaboured, which made the story drag a bit.
Where Kate Messner shone in this book was the relationship between Gianna and her grandmother...her grandmother who is slowly losing her memory. It was so well done, and the grandmother was so kind and generous and loving to Gianna...and
A good read for middle grades.
The cover said an excellent read-aloud; I don't know about that, the language was fine but not so beautiful and the story was a bit longer than it needed to be, but for sensitive readers 9-12, it works well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia, Death, and Bullying
laurakate45's review against another edition
4.0
This would be a great choice for a middle-grade reader dealing with loss.
hezann73's review against another edition
4.0
Remember those awful leaf projects you had to do in school? Well, Gianna isn't any happier about hers - even though it's the only thing standing in the way of her and the sectional cross country meet. She really wants to get it done, but life (in the form of a mean girl at school and her own grandmother's illness) can really get in the way.
4th grade and up.
4th grade and up.
library_brandy's review against another edition
4.0
An endearingly disorganized protagonist trying to hold herself together while everything she's worked for is going to pieces--and her grandmother is, too.
Gianna may be in 7th grade, but I think her target audience is more like 5th grade. Still, a quick read, which is good because the owning library called me today to shake me down for it because it was two measly days overdue. Bad librarian.
Gianna may be in 7th grade, but I think her target audience is more like 5th grade. Still, a quick read, which is good because the owning library called me today to shake me down for it because it was two measly days overdue. Bad librarian.
lilla75's review against another edition
5.0
Great story, wonderfully written. Absolutely gorgeous book. 11+
Gianna Z is an artistic-type, and her school's star runner. She lives with her parents, her little brother, and her grandmother (Nonna) in Vermont, where they run a funeral home. Gianna often has a hard time staying focused on school and prefers to be out running track or working on a new art project. Her best efforts to stay ahead fail her and she learns that if she doesn't complete her science project she will be replaced in sectionals by the evil "princess" Bianca who seems to have it out for Gianna.
Gianna needs to buckle down and get her work done, and with the help of good friend Zig, whom she is drawn to more deeply these days, she seems to be in good shape to finish. However, her beloved Nonna starts to exhibit signs of forgetfulness that are too scary to ignore, and this send the family into a whirlwind of worry.
The end of the book contains a recipe for Nonna's famous Funeral cookies, and a "What Kind of Tree Are You?" quiz which is adorable (and yummy!)
I loved every moment of this book. Just beautiful.
Gianna Z is an artistic-type, and her school's star runner. She lives with her parents, her little brother, and her grandmother (Nonna) in Vermont, where they run a funeral home. Gianna often has a hard time staying focused on school and prefers to be out running track or working on a new art project. Her best efforts to stay ahead fail her and she learns that if she doesn't complete her science project she will be replaced in sectionals by the evil "princess" Bianca who seems to have it out for Gianna.
Gianna needs to buckle down and get her work done, and with the help of good friend Zig, whom she is drawn to more deeply these days, she seems to be in good shape to finish. However, her beloved Nonna starts to exhibit signs of forgetfulness that are too scary to ignore, and this send the family into a whirlwind of worry.
The end of the book contains a recipe for Nonna's famous Funeral cookies, and a "What Kind of Tree Are You?" quiz which is adorable (and yummy!)
I loved every moment of this book. Just beautiful.
mrskatiefitz's review against another edition
4.0
Gianna is a procrastinator. She knows she has to collect 25 leaves for her science project to avoid being kicked off the cross-country team, but as the deadline approaches, she finds herself becoming more and more distracted and less and less prepared to complete the assignment. To make matters worse, her grandmother has started to become very forgetful, to the point that she gets lost in familiar places and forgets the names for household objects. Gianna’s mom doesn’t want to admit that anything is wrong, which makes Gianna even more anxious and even more distracted. There’s also a mean girl at school who seems determined to sabotage any progress Gianna makes. It’s a good thing Gianna has a great friend like Zig to help her get through the tough times - he might be her only hope for things to work out!
I enjoy Kate Messner’s Marty McGuire books, and her mystery-adventure books about the Jaguar Society, and I was curious to see what her early middle grade novels are like. Though I couldn’t get into Sugar and Ice, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. grabbed my attention from the very start. Gianna is a likeable girl whose flaws seem very real to me. It seems like I have read a lot of books about girls who are really bookish, responsible, and focused, but not as many about sports-minded athletes who struggle to finish homework assignments and whose lives are somewhat up in the air. I like that Gianna doesn’t have it all together, but that her heart is in the right place, and she never stops trying.
I also enjoyed the relationships Gianna has with the supporting characters. Gianna’s mom, grandma, and best friend, Zig, each came strongly to life, and I loved the gentle ways they supported Gianna even when she was driving them crazy with her disorganization. It was also very satisfying to see Gianna eventually forge her own path where she gets her assignment done in her way, with her own style, instead of in a traditional format that might work for more traditional thinkers.
The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. is a great middle grade novel about a very real girl. Readers will easily empathize with Gianna as she struggles to conquer her homework assignment, and they will fully understand her frustrations and triumphs on the road to success. I would recommend this book to girls who have enjoyed Ann M. Martin’s Ten Rules for Living with My Sister and Tricia Rayburn’s Maggie Bean books. It’s a perfect choice for middle school girls, especially those who might not relate to more picture-perfect fictional heroines.
I enjoy Kate Messner’s Marty McGuire books, and her mystery-adventure books about the Jaguar Society, and I was curious to see what her early middle grade novels are like. Though I couldn’t get into Sugar and Ice, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. grabbed my attention from the very start. Gianna is a likeable girl whose flaws seem very real to me. It seems like I have read a lot of books about girls who are really bookish, responsible, and focused, but not as many about sports-minded athletes who struggle to finish homework assignments and whose lives are somewhat up in the air. I like that Gianna doesn’t have it all together, but that her heart is in the right place, and she never stops trying.
I also enjoyed the relationships Gianna has with the supporting characters. Gianna’s mom, grandma, and best friend, Zig, each came strongly to life, and I loved the gentle ways they supported Gianna even when she was driving them crazy with her disorganization. It was also very satisfying to see Gianna eventually forge her own path where she gets her assignment done in her way, with her own style, instead of in a traditional format that might work for more traditional thinkers.
The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. is a great middle grade novel about a very real girl. Readers will easily empathize with Gianna as she struggles to conquer her homework assignment, and they will fully understand her frustrations and triumphs on the road to success. I would recommend this book to girls who have enjoyed Ann M. Martin’s Ten Rules for Living with My Sister and Tricia Rayburn’s Maggie Bean books. It’s a perfect choice for middle school girls, especially those who might not relate to more picture-perfect fictional heroines.
laura_sorensen's review against another edition
4.0
Tho the premise is a little drawn out, I enjoyed the narrative, the characters, and Gianna's relationship with her family.
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