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A review by nicolemhewitt
Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Falling Short is an ode to every middle grade kid who worries they can’t measure up (which is, let’s face it, all of us at that age). Best friends Isaac and Marco are ready to make some major changes in sixth grade. Isaac knows he needs to focus on his schoolwork and be more responsible, but most days that feels like an impossible task, especially when he’s also navigating the tricky relationship between his recently separated mom and dad (after his dad turns to alcohol in difficult times). Meanwhile, Marco would love to have any kind of relationship at all with his own dad – Marco can never seem to do the types of things that make his dad proud, and he barely even sees him anymore. Isaac does his best to keep his grades up and Marco tries his best to make the basketball team, but no matter how hard both boys work, they feel like they’re up against impossible tasks, and they both start to wonder if they’re always going to be destined to fall short. The book touches on serious topics like alcoholism and divorce, but there’s always a thread of optimism throughout the story that keeps it from feeling too heavy. This book is perfect for contemporary readers and it will have extra appeal to kids who like heartfelt family stories or sports stories.
Falling Short is an ode to every middle grade kid who worries they can’t measure up (which is, let’s face it, all of us at that age). Best friends Isaac and Marco are ready to make some major changes in sixth grade. Isaac knows he needs to focus on his schoolwork and be more responsible, but most days that feels like an impossible task, especially when he’s also navigating the tricky relationship between his recently separated mom and dad (after his dad turns to alcohol in difficult times). Meanwhile, Marco would love to have any kind of relationship at all with his own dad – Marco can never seem to do the types of things that make his dad proud, and he barely even sees him anymore. Isaac does his best to keep his grades up and Marco tries his best to make the basketball team, but no matter how hard both boys work, they feel like they’re up against impossible tasks, and they both start to wonder if they’re always going to be destined to fall short. The book touches on serious topics like alcoholism and divorce, but there’s always a thread of optimism throughout the story that keeps it from feeling too heavy. This book is perfect for contemporary readers and it will have extra appeal to kids who like heartfelt family stories or sports stories.