Bloggin' 'bout Books: Bright, Hopeful Lemons A Sweet MG Debut

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Bright, Hopeful Lemons A Sweet MG Debut

12:47 PM

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

As if watching her mom waste away from the effects of cancer wasn't awful enough, 10-year-old Lemonade "Lem" Witt is now being forced to leave the only home she's ever known. She's already lost her mother, does she really have to give up San Francisco, with all its beauty, bustle, and memories? Apparently so. Lem's being sent to live with her maternal grandfather—a man she's never met—way up in northern California. Good thing she's not planning to stay in tiny, leafy Willow Creek. The minute another guardian is found for her, Lem will be heading right back to the City by the Bay.

When Lem meets Tobin Sky, her grandfather's 10-year-old neighbor, she's even more convinced that she's landed on an alien planet. Obsessed with Bigfoot, the boy can talk of little else. When Tobin "hires" her to be his assistant at Bigfoot Detectives Inc, Lem reluctantly goes along with it. After all, Podunkville offers very little in the way of scintillating entertainment. As the duo traipses all over town in an attempt to catch the elusive creature on film, they form a bond that will change both of them. Together, they learn some very important lessons about loss, love, family, and the life-altering power of a Twinkie offered in friendship.

Lemons, a debut novel by child and family therapist Melissa Savage, is a bright, enjoyable book that explores the idea of turning the sour experiences of life into something sweet. All of the main characters have suffered in some way or another and every one of them must find a way to cope. As Lem learns how to deal with her own grief, she helps others face their own demons. This makes her a very empathetic heroine. She's also funny, brave, and loyal, which means she's the perfect narrator for this engaging story. The tale deals with tough subjects, yes, but its overall tone is hopeful and uplifting. Its a fun adventure that will appeal to anyone looking for a sunny summer read about turning lemons into lemonade.

(Readalikes: Um, I can't think of anything. Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild violence and some mildly scary images

To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Lemons from the generous folks at Crown Books for Young Readers. Thank you!

Want more opinions on Lemons? Check out the books other tour stops below:

May 1: Caroline Starr Rose

May 2: Bookhounds YA

May 3: Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!

May 4: Ms. Yingling Reads

May 5: Bea's Book Nook

May 6: Diving Under the Cover

May 8: Imagination Soup

May 9: Read Now Sleep Later

May 10: Word Spelunking

May 11: My Brain on Books

May 12: YA Books Central

May 13: Cafinated Reads

May 15: Middle Grade Mafioso

May 16: Much Loved Books

May 17: Cracking the Cover

May 18: Oh, For the Hook of a Book!

May 19: Batch of Books

May 20: The Owl

May 22: 5 Minutes for Books

May 23: Awesome Book Nut

May 24: Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile

May 25: I'd So Rather Be Reading

May 26: Here's to Happy Endings

May 27: Doodle's Book Reviews

May 29: Reviews Coming at YA

May 30: Swoony Boys Podcast

May 31: Bloggin 'Bout Books - (posted on June 1)

June 1: Xpresso Reads

4 comments:

Dena02 June, 2017 07:12
I loved this book! The Warden's Daughter by Jerry Spinelli and Summerlost by Ally Condie were both good books with similar themes of loss, hope, and friendship.
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Jenny02 June, 2017 08:51
This sounds cute. MG isn't my favorite but I do like them now and again.
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