Chasing Augustus by Kimberly Newton Fusco

How I Heard About It:  I remembering reading some "buzz" about this novel via Twitter.  I reached out to the author and was lucky enough to receive a copy of her book.  I was intrigued by the cover and title and couldn't wait to read it.  I've also enjoyed my Twitter "conversations" with Kimberly over the last few months.  

What It Is About:  After Rosie's dad has a stroke, she is left in the care of her grandfather.  Both Rosie and her grandpa Harry could be described as a bit "ornery".  They are strong, bull-headed, and stubborn.  Rosie's mother lives in California chasing her own "dreams".  She calls her daughter from time to time, but these calls are not well received by Rosie.  Before her mother left, she gave away Rosie's favorite friend; her dog Augustus.  Rosie spends all of her "free" time searching for Augustus.  She wants nothing more in the world than to get her pal back.  This search doesn't please Harry, but doesn't stop Rosie from her hunt.  She knows she can't find Augustus alone and requests the help of a new "friend" Philippe.  He lives in the same building as Rosie and Harry.  Philippe isn't your typical young boy and is keeping "secrets" of his own.  The two of them take risks, face danger, and must rely on each other to achieve the goal of "chasing" Augustus and learn what truly happened to Rosie's best friend.  

What I Thought Of It:  I had the chance to start the story a few nights ago, but because of time I didn't get very far.  When I sat down last night to continue, I could not put it down and finished the entire thing.  I LOVED this story and was completely engaged during the entire reading.  Rosie was a spit-fire and made me laugh, cheer, and even tear-up on occasion.  In my opinion, the best aspect of the story was her relationship with Harry, Phillippe, Swanson, and several other characters.  KNF has a unique and special way of describing the interactions and relationships between characters.  Just when I thought I had figured out what was going to happen, KNF would throw me off and take me in another direction.  I also appreciated that not everything was "roses" but real "thorns"; just like real life.  This is definitely a must-read novel.  

Who Should Read It:  I already have quite a few titles on my list for read aloud this year, but now I have another one.  This would make for an extremely strong story to share with a group of middle-grade readers.  I could see it being read to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders.  Individual readers in these grades would also be perfect to put this novel in their hands.  Of course middle-school readers should not be forgotten when it comes to this title.  Way to go Kimberly Newton Fusco.  You wrote one heck of a story that young readers will come to love.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  5 STARS out of 5 Stars