Jo Watson Hackl
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Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe von Jo Watson Hackl
I saw an article about local Women writers and this was on the list. The title was intriguing so I thought I would take a chance on it, even though it's a juvenile book. Very well written, I think it would be great for a twelve year old girl, the story just wasn't for me.
½The cover is by Gilbert Ford; I have to read it.
Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher at ALA Midwinter 2018.
Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher at ALA Midwinter 2018.
I'm not sure that I read the same book as the other reviewers on GR. I thought this was very slow, sad, and implausible. I did not much enjoy Cricket (the main human character), who spends the entire novel preparing to be reunited with her mother, after fleeing into the woods from her Aunt. The book lacked structure and cohesiveness, perhaps because it was dealing with some aspects of mental illness and loneliness. Not for me.
Jo Watson Hackl creates a charming story about a young girl who is left in a grocery store by her aunt. She overcomes her fears and is determined to solve a mystery she believes will get her mother back. Young readers will enjoy how the main character unravels clues and survives in the woods. The plot contains enough twists and turns to keep readers engaged. There are some beautiful descriptions, including the ghost town in the woods of Electric City and the secret room in Ms. V's house. Readers can get lost in the world Watson Hackl creates.
Young kids will also relate well to the protagonist Cricket. She has enough spunk and gumption to persevere, but not without hardships and self-doubt. In the end, you see an enormous amount of growth is in this character. Not everything works out the way she expects, and not everyone is as black and white as they seemed in the beginning. There are powerful messages about the nature of family, and the effects of mental illness. Cricket learns some hard truths, but comes out stronger because of them.
As a parent and librarian, I also appreciate the extensive add-ons included by the author. There are a multitude of experiments that young people can do in connection to the book--like creating a sun dial or Cricket Challenges for outdoors. She also provides resources for the art mentioned in the book.
I highly recommend this book for young readers who love adventure and mystery (so most young kids).
Disclosure: While I first read this book after my own purchase, the author did donate books to my school library for our Battle of the Books team.… (mehr)
Young kids will also relate well to the protagonist Cricket. She has enough spunk and gumption to persevere, but not without hardships and self-doubt. In the end, you see an enormous amount of growth is in this character. Not everything works out the way she expects, and not everyone is as black and white as they seemed in the beginning. There are powerful messages about the nature of family, and the effects of mental illness. Cricket learns some hard truths, but comes out stronger because of them.
As a parent and librarian, I also appreciate the extensive add-ons included by the author. There are a multitude of experiments that young people can do in connection to the book--like creating a sun dial or Cricket Challenges for outdoors. She also provides resources for the art mentioned in the book.
I highly recommend this book for young readers who love adventure and mystery (so most young kids).
Disclosure: While I first read this book after my own purchase, the author did donate books to my school library for our Battle of the Books team.… (mehr)
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