aliciamae 's review for:

Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt

5.0

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Enjoyment level was a five star, although I think [b:Okay for Now|15814541|Okay for Now|Gary D. Schmidt|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348098495l/15814541._SX50_.jpg|14044509] remains my favorite of the three Schmidt books I've read ([b:The Wednesday Wars|556136|The Wednesday Wars|Gary D. Schmidt|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442044636l/556136._SX50_.jpg|2586820] being the third). This book does require some suspension of belief, but it's also not nonfiction, so that doesn't bother me. A bit of a [b:Mary Poppins|22749868|Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins, #1)|P.L. Travers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1416445415l/22749868._SX50_.jpg|2768848] feel to the story. I loved learning about cricket. Kind of makes me want to re-watch the movie Lagaan.

I work with some students who could use help dealing with similar difficulties that "young Master Carter" faced, and would love the storytelling of Schmidt. I felt quite similarly about the issues discussed in The Wednesday Wars and Okay for Now, too. I think it is sometimes forgotten that middle grade fiction is written toward eight to twelve year-olds. Twelve year-olds have to face some heavy things. Like

younger brothers who have died, dads who have abandoned their families, and families that are not coping with their burdens/sorrows well.

And even thirteen or fourteen year-olds (assuming they don't feel embarrassed by the cover of the book or for reading something "younger") ESPECIALLY if they are not as strong readers, can get quite a bit out of a middle grade novel. Obviously I think adults can benefit too, as I picked this one up for my own personal enjoyment. My younger brother read Okay For Now in his 7th or 8th grade honors English class, and it was one of the more popular books assigned that year.