Search This Blog







2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge


2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge



2025 Build Your Library Reading Challenge









Warm, Gentle Rachel Spinelli Totally Smile-Worthy

Zachary Beatrice has never felt that connected to the Colorado desert where he and his father live in an old, aluminum-sided trailer. After his mother takes off, determined to finally realize her dream of working on a cruise ship, Zachary's even more unmoored. So, when his dad suggests moving, Zachary's all for it. Falls, Connecticut, is a quirky little town, and it doesn't take long for the Beatrices to feel right at home.
One of Falls' most notorious residents lives right across the street from Zachary. Like him, Rachel Spinelli is 14. Unlike him, she has a fearsome reputation as a scrappy, hot-tempered fighter. Zachary really doesn't want to get on her bad side, but it soon becomes apparent that anything can happen during the long, hot summer in Falls, Connecticut.
Rachel Spinelli Punched Me in the Face (available August 30), a new middle grade novel by Paul Acampora, is one of those gentle stories that always put a smile on my face. It's warm, funny, and touching in a subtle, melodrama-free kind of way. There's not much of a plot going on in Rachel Spinelli Punched Me in the Face, but I really couldn't have cared less. I loved it.
(Readalikes: Reminded me a little bit of the Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall; also, the relationship between Rachel and her big brother reminded me of the one between Anya and Leo in All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin)
Grade: B
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Rachel Spinelli Punched Me in the Face from the generous folks at Macmillan/Roaring Press. Thank you!
1 comment:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!


Reading
Rabbit Rabbit by Dori Hillestad Butler and Sunshine Bacon

Listening
The Morning House by Maureen Johnson


Followin' with Bloglovin'

-
-
-
The Namaste Club by Asha Elias7 hours ago
-
Clean teen books for Summer8 hours ago
-
-
Top Ten Tuesday ~ BookBound 2025 Update #113 hours ago
-
64. Death on the Nile14 hours ago
-
Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦15 hours ago
-
Books read in June17 hours ago
-
Happy July!18 hours ago
-
-
-
-
Top Ten Tuesday...20 hours ago
-
-
Top Ten Tuesday: Quotes About Canada22 hours ago
-
The Last Conclave by Glenn Cooper1 day ago
-
Roommating By Meredith Schorr1 day ago
-
-
-
-
Monthly Round-Up: June 20252 days ago
-
-
Sunday Salon: June 29, 20253 days ago
-
-
-
-
No Roundup this month2 months ago
-
-
Sunday Post #5682 months ago
-
-
February 2025 Reading Wrap Up3 months ago
-
One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery4 months ago
-
-
-
I'm Still Reading - This Was My October7 months ago
-
Review: The Duke and I10 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus11 months ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-

Grab my Button!


Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ▼ 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)


2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction

That sounds like a really refreshing read. I'm going to look for it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan!