Search This Blog
June Reviews Link-Up
July Reviews Link-Up
August Reviews Link-Up
September Reviews Link-Up
October Reviews Link-Up
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois (1)
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (2)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (3)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma (1)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (3)
- Utah
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (2)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.* (1)
International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (8)
- France (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (2)
- Italy (1)
- Scotland (2)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Hopeful MG Novel Provides Boost for Kids With Messy Life Situations
7:42 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Everything in Kate Mitchell's life falls apart when her dad, who's suffering from severe depression, moves out. The 11-year-old hasn't heard from him in months. Before he took off, the family loved to make music together—Kate would sing while she and her father both played the guitar and her mother tickled the ivories. Now, the music is gone. Although Kate has tried to sing and strum, she just can't. Not anymore.
At least Kate has her BFF to help her through. Now that Sofia is hanging out with another girl, though, Kate feels more alone than ever before. Add to that the fact that her paternal grandma, whose dementia is getting worse every day, has moved in with Kate and her mom, and her life feels like it's spiraling way, way out of control. When her grandma tries to help by spilling the secret of everyday magic, Kate is skeptical. As she puts the principles into practice, however, amazing things do start to happen. Can Kate hocus pocus her life back together? Can she bring her dad and Sofia back? Anything is possible with a sprinkle of everyday magic, right?
The Three Rules of Everyday Magic, a debut novel by Amanda Rawson Hill, is a sweet, hopeful story about forgiveness, kindness, and finding one's inner strength. The tale doesn't come to a neat, tidy end (spoiler alert!), which helps the book stay authentic. Still, it's an empowering novel that will give children with difficult challenges and messy life situations a bit of a lift. While its plot seems a little meandering and unfocused, overall I enjoyed The Three Rules of Everyday Magic.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of lots of novels, but no specific titles are coming to mind. Help!)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for difficult subject matter (parental abandonment, depression, etc.)
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-copy of The Three Rules of Everyday Magic from the generous folks at Boyds Mills Press via those on The Whitney Awards Committee to facilitate contest judging. Thank you!
5 comments:
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!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
Compared3 hours ago
-
-
-
Monthly Round-Up: May 202410 hours ago
-
Wyrd & Wonder ~ Sunbolt Readalong Week #410 hours ago
-
Pretty Things by Janelle Brown11 hours ago
-
-
Bookish Quote of the Day!!!16 hours ago
-
-
-
-
First Lines Fridays: May 31, 202419 hours ago
-
Review: Ravensong by TJ Klune20 hours ago
-
-
You Are Here by David Nicholls1 day ago
-
May Reflections1 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Bookshelf Bounty6 days ago
-
I have been reading...1 week ago
-
-
The Mayfair Dagger by Ava January1 week ago
-
Sunday Post 5541 week ago
-
Reading Recap April 20242 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
March Monthly Wrap-up1 month ago
-
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?7 months ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra11 months ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?1 year 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)
This sounds really cute! I'm actually glad this one doesn't have a neat ending, because I don't think that'd go with the theme. I'll have to check it out. Great review!
ReplyDeleteAn uplifting MG book is a good thing; it seems like there are so many more depressing or "too realistic" books from which to choose.
ReplyDeleteI really do love that more and more we are seeing books like this!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a lovely MG book!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds wonderful! (And I love so much that you always note when the author is LDS!)
ReplyDelete