How I Heard About It:
*One of my favorite weekends of the year is attending the annual #NCTE convention. This year the event was held in Baltimore. I love attending all the brilliant sessions, connecting with friends, and of course spending time on the exhibit hall floor. After chatting with one of my favorite publisher reps, I came home with this ARC. I began reading at the airport, continued on the plane, and finished that night when I arrived home.
What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:
1. *This April 2020 middle-grade release is set right here in Minnesota where I live. It was such fun to read about all the local cities and attractions.
2. *Seventh-grader, Justin, lives with his mother and older "sports-loving" brother. They are each grieving the loss of their father/husband.
3. *The mystery surrounding the night Justin's father "left", has him searching for answers with a variety of local residents who may or may not have the information Justin is looking for.
4. *One fact Justin knows is that the war had a definite effect on his father during the Gulf War.
5. *Day and night, Justin explores a lake, a bench, and a trolley car to bring him closer to his father.
What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1. *I lucked out picking this title FIRST out of a very large stack from my #NCTE19 experience. The story was real, powerful, and emotional.
2. *I could feel Justin's heart from the moment the story began to the moment it ended.
3. *As I mentioned, it was fun and enjoyable to read about local cities and places that I have grown up with. As I reader, I also appreciated how the author incorporated the history of the region into the current day story.
4. *The characters that surrounded Justin were supportive, heart-felt, and authentic.
5. *From the beautiful cover, to the amazing characters, to the rich story-line; I can't recommend this novel enough.
Who Should Read It:
*I know every adult reader who enjoy middle-grade novels will love and devour this story just as I did. Readers in grades four, five, and six would be appropriate for the book. In my opinion, the journey of Justin would make for an excellent class read aloud, but could also be put in the hands of individual readers. Put this title on your TBR list and look for it in April of 2020. Happy Reading!
Rating: 5 STARS out of 5 Stars
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