ARC

Enjoy! Please let us know if this is a book the library should add to its collection.

I got this softcover ARC from this Little Free Library in Wilton NH while dropping off some books of my own.

I really enjoyed this, and I do think it's worth adding to the library's collection (if you haven't already done so!). It reminded me of the work of Raina Telgemeier, and that's high praise from me. It deals with a 7th-grader who's not pleased when his parents transfer him from his own neighborhood school to a highly-rated private school; it takes him a while to find friends in this new environment, and he also has to juggle his time to maintain his neighborhood friendships. Lots of new-kid-at-school/fish-out-of-water bits here, with some thought-provoking subplots about everything from dealing with bullies to confronting teachers about their own biases. Racial and cultural elements are at play too, in believably complex ways. And there's plenty of humor, from Jordan's hand-drawn comics to the many quips from his friends. We see his parents bickering over their hopes for his future - and then working things out. Overall there's a good blend of kid-friendly elements and life-lessons, though I suspect that younger readers won't notice the latter right away!

I left this book in the Little Free Library in Thornton Park, Nashua NH; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2019 Keep Them Moving release challenge. ***