Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
Oh, these three siblings. I just want to let them know they are loved, and capable of great things!
I enjoyed this book as a historical fiction novel. If the characters were real I would have been about the same age as the twins, Bird and Fitch. The popular activities of the day were familiar to me. Like many school children I watched the Challenger launch and it's explosion. I remember being very shocked. I appreciate the author telling this story and for the opportunity to reminisce on my experience and for students today to learn about this time in history.
The Thomas family situation was not ideal. Their parents relationship and fighting was depressing. All three children were also dealing with changes in friendships, hormones and self-worth. It know not all children have an ideal world, but it was sad.
The Thomas family situation was not ideal. Their parents relationship and fighting was depressing. All three children were also dealing with changes in friendships, hormones and self-worth. It know not all children have an ideal world, but it was sad.
I ultimately loved this book, but some of it was hard for me. The bickering between the parents felt so genuine, it gave me a bit of PTSD. Kelly gives every character a true and honest place. None of them felt like a cookie cutter insertion.
This book made me feel all kinds of feelings. I want to give these kids the hugs and reassurance they deserve and aren't getting.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A thoughtful dive into the lives of three siblings growing up in the 80s. I loved the depth of character Entrada Kelly created as each sibling navigated challenges individually, as part of a family fraught with tension and anger (mainly due to unhappiness between their parents), and as a part of the generation that was impacted by the excitement and tragedy of the events surrounding the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986.
I loved the memories this book brought back about my childhood in 1980s and the Challenger explosion in 1986. Beautifully written story about family and how to deal with your family when you feel like you don’t fit!
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
Yes
I love this book so much its my all time sad/mad book and I read it whenever i need to take my mind off of things. I've read it like a million times and it neve gets old. Even if you don't enjoy kids/teen fiction give it a shot its just so comforting.
I was in college when the Challenger exploded, and I don't relate to the event as "historical" in the way that I do when I read about World War II, but I can appreciate that the events of the 1980s feel that way to young people today. I have students ask for books about the 1980s, much as I would have asked for books about the 1940s. This is a sweet story of siblings finding each other, and themselves, during a time of familial and national upheaval. My family structure was quite different, but I could empathize with each siblings need to be seen & valued. The references to 1980s culture were also endearing to me, since I remember them all very clearly.
The defining event in this middle grade novel is the failed Challenger launch in 1986. The story is told from the shifting points of view of three siblings, all in middle school at the time.
I was a freshman in high school at the time of these events, so the heavy dose of period-appropriate brands, video games, and other references was thoroughly enjoyable. All of these will be lost on the target audience, except for historical accuracy, but parent readers will enjoy the trip down memory lane.
I felt like the three children's characters were distinct and well-crafted. Unfortunately, each suffers in their own way from their parents' neglect, bad marriage, and poor parenting. I found it hard to read. The sister, Bird, is the center of the book and of the family, and she is most fascinated by the Challenger launch. Bird is mechanically inclined and relates to one of the female astronauts, so there is a strong feminist thread to this book, which I liked.
However, the real redemptive moment ultimately involves the kids' realizing that their parents aren't going to help them and that they have to help themselves and each other. That may be a valid and important lesson, but I didn't enjoy it, and it didn't leave me feeling optimistic.
I was a freshman in high school at the time of these events, so the heavy dose of period-appropriate brands, video games, and other references was thoroughly enjoyable. All of these will be lost on the target audience, except for historical accuracy, but parent readers will enjoy the trip down memory lane.
I felt like the three children's characters were distinct and well-crafted. Unfortunately, each suffers in their own way from their parents' neglect, bad marriage, and poor parenting. I found it hard to read. The sister, Bird, is the center of the book and of the family, and she is most fascinated by the Challenger launch. Bird is mechanically inclined and relates to one of the female astronauts, so there is a strong feminist thread to this book, which I liked.
However, the real redemptive moment ultimately involves the kids' realizing that their parents aren't going to help them and that they have to help themselves and each other. That may be a valid and important lesson, but I didn't enjoy it, and it didn't leave me feeling optimistic.