A review by abbymoore06
Best Nerds Forever by Chris Grabenstein, James Patterson

4.0

Super impressed with the overall arc of this story.... I kept waiting for a major twist (which did, in fact, come in the epilogue), but I was impressed that the authors hung with the complicated topics of fear and death. At times, I was bothered by the other characters' reactions to Finn's death, and I do wish that Finn's grandfather would have had a more prominent and nuanced presence in the story. However, the authors kept everything light enough for a older elementary student to process.... these types of books are usually reserved for middle/high schoolers, but younger kids could benefit so much from exposure to these intense storylines (i.e. death). I also enjoyed the overall message of enjoying the small moments in life. I can see this one being really popular with my 4th/5th graders, and there is certainly a lot to discuss. Would be a good book club selection.