A review by kajh23
Chirp by Kate Messner

4.0

This took me by surprise. At the start, this is the story of a young girl, Mia, whose family is moving to Vermont to help her aging grandmother, who happens to run a cricket farm. The story touches upon environmental and gender issues, but seems at its heart to be about Mia dealing with the aftermath of a serious gymnastics injury. She meets new friends and begins to trust in her body again. Meanwhile, things are not well at the cricket farm. Her grandmother believes it is being sabotaged to force her into selling. As Mia and her new friends try to solve the mystery, the story evolves. It introduces relevant and timely themes such as the #metoo movement and glass ceilings, and the truth about Mia's gymnastics injury is revealed. This is somewhat intense subject matter for young readers but Messner handles it extremely well. Recommended for middle graders interested in realistic fiction. Girls, environmentally concerned kids, and gymnasts in particular.