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asimilarkite's review against another edition
4.0
Oh so lovely. More books like this, please. Books where "non-traditional" families are presented in super straightforward, low key ways. Where the book isn't about "OMG LOOK AT THIS NON-TRADITIONAL FAMILY WITH LGBTQ PEOPLE IN IT!" Instead, it's all like, "Hey, look at these interesting characters with quirky personalities doing funny things and sad things and living their lives!"
Every character in the Family Fletcher is memorable. I loved coasting along with them for a year, learning about their troubles and happinesses, and feeling like a part of the family.
Every character in the Family Fletcher is memorable. I loved coasting along with them for a year, learning about their troubles and happinesses, and feeling like a part of the family.
megatsunami's review against another edition
4.0
SO good! A loving, happy, yet human/normal/fallible family of two dads and four boys navigates life, school, and relationships with humor and grace. There were definitely a few predictable moments but also plenty of unexpected ones, and the rhythm of the book felt natural, not forced into a narrative arc. I loved the characters and enjoyed the stories.
caitlinalrogers's review against another edition
5.0
This book was really fun to read. Great story, normal family, crazy lives.
litlover13's review against another edition
4.0
Great realistic fiction for boys. Or any kid who wants to relate having a crazy family lifestyle.
carnisht's review against another edition
5.0
Summary: The Fletcher family is just like any other family. Two parents, four kids, and several pets all running around living their day-to-day lives. Sam Fletcher is the oldest son and is excited for sixth grade and relishing in his popularity. Jax, fourth-grader, is having trouble with a challenging school assignment and his cantankerous elderly neighbor. Eli, also fourth-grader, is excited to start at his new school for intelligently gifted kids. And Frog, a kindergartner who has trouble differentiating between real and imaginary. All of their adventures, along with their dads’, make for quite the interesting year for the family Fletcher.
Review: I loved this story! It was so surprisingly heartwarming. I definitely didn’t expect to find such a connection and love for this book. I also didn’t anticipate reading about a family with two dads. Literally had no clue that was an element in this story – not that I disliked it! I loved it. It was literally not a big deal at all. It was just perfectly accepted and was never a point of conflict (which is totally new!). I also really valued the four different stories from the boys. I felt invested in all of their lives and conflicts and like I got to know them each on an individual level. While I connected most with Eli, I still enjoyed the other three and their unique tales. I will say, though, that I would’ve enjoyed more Frog. I felt like Levy gave him very little page-time and didn’t let his story develop as it should, but other than this small debacle, I loved the story through and through. I especially loved the diversity. Not just the gay dads, but each kid was of a different religion and/or ethnicity, and neither Levy nor the fathers ignored this. Their various cultures were celebrated and acknowledged, but they were not their primary identifying factor. Yes, Jax was black, but he was so much more than this. Levy made sure to develop well-rounded, deep characters that have more than their one identity. More than anything though, this story was filled with raw emotion, hearttouching tales, and general all around happiness.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review: I loved this story! It was so surprisingly heartwarming. I definitely didn’t expect to find such a connection and love for this book. I also didn’t anticipate reading about a family with two dads. Literally had no clue that was an element in this story – not that I disliked it! I loved it. It was literally not a big deal at all. It was just perfectly accepted and was never a point of conflict (which is totally new!). I also really valued the four different stories from the boys. I felt invested in all of their lives and conflicts and like I got to know them each on an individual level. While I connected most with Eli, I still enjoyed the other three and their unique tales. I will say, though, that I would’ve enjoyed more Frog. I felt like Levy gave him very little page-time and didn’t let his story develop as it should, but other than this small debacle, I loved the story through and through. I especially loved the diversity. Not just the gay dads, but each kid was of a different religion and/or ethnicity, and neither Levy nor the fathers ignored this. Their various cultures were celebrated and acknowledged, but they were not their primary identifying factor. Yes, Jax was black, but he was so much more than this. Levy made sure to develop well-rounded, deep characters that have more than their one identity. More than anything though, this story was filled with raw emotion, hearttouching tales, and general all around happiness.
Rating: 5 out of 5
danicamidlil's review against another edition
5.0
This was WONDERFUL. It reminded me a lot of [b:The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy|266904|The Penderwicks A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (The Penderwicks #1)|Jeanne Birdsall|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320508900s/266904.jpg|2564478] but with brothers, which was even better! Great sibling interactions. Great parent interactions. Great friend and community interactions. Awesome Book!
kellymc03's review against another edition
5.0
The kids and I listened to this fun family adventure! What a great story and we all loved different things about it. DCF nominee for 2015-2016 .
alinaborger's review against another edition
5.0
The Fletchers are in the epicenter of the culture wars: a multi-faith family with two dads, three different ethnicities, and four adopted kids. And there are moments—when the whole family attends back-to-school night at Eli’s new school, for example—when that reality threatens to erupt into the novel.
But it doesn’t.
And that’s what makes Levy’s middle-grade debut so stunning. The family navigates Sam’s muddy leaps from soccer practice to musical rehearsals, Jax’s veterans project, Eli’s move to an academically-minded private school, and even little Frog’s new friend, Ladybug (Frog’s real name is Jeremiah, and everyone’s pretty sure Ladybug is imaginary). That they manage all of it while attempting to win over a grumpy new neighbor and cooking everything but the turkey on Thanksgiving—oops!—is simply par for the course.
With two dads and four boys, The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher is also 100% boy. In a genre dominated by stand-out heroines from today’s Penderwicks as far back as Judy Blume’s titular Margaret and even Anne of Green Gables, this is a welcome change that will appeal to parents, kids, and teachers.
Like any great family story, though, the best part about the Fletchers is the way they allow us to see ourselves differently, with greater capacity for love and kindness than we might ordinarily grant. Like The Brady Bunch once did, the Fletchers make the same mistakes real families make—but with a touch of humor that enables us to laugh and head back into the fray of the real world, changed.
Dana Allison Levy once called her story “writing about all the shenanigans,” and after reading The Misadventures, I hope she keeps on doing just that.
But it doesn’t.
And that’s what makes Levy’s middle-grade debut so stunning. The family navigates Sam’s muddy leaps from soccer practice to musical rehearsals, Jax’s veterans project, Eli’s move to an academically-minded private school, and even little Frog’s new friend, Ladybug (Frog’s real name is Jeremiah, and everyone’s pretty sure Ladybug is imaginary). That they manage all of it while attempting to win over a grumpy new neighbor and cooking everything but the turkey on Thanksgiving—oops!—is simply par for the course.
With two dads and four boys, The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher is also 100% boy. In a genre dominated by stand-out heroines from today’s Penderwicks as far back as Judy Blume’s titular Margaret and even Anne of Green Gables, this is a welcome change that will appeal to parents, kids, and teachers.
Like any great family story, though, the best part about the Fletchers is the way they allow us to see ourselves differently, with greater capacity for love and kindness than we might ordinarily grant. Like The Brady Bunch once did, the Fletchers make the same mistakes real families make—but with a touch of humor that enables us to laugh and head back into the fray of the real world, changed.
Dana Allison Levy once called her story “writing about all the shenanigans,” and after reading The Misadventures, I hope she keeps on doing just that.
allisonwatkins's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25