Where the Heart Is by Jo Knowles

How I Heard About It:  This novel came to me via the publisher.  I was excited to receive it in the mail and to read it as I have read other works by Jo Knowles and knew her stories were top-notch.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Rachel and Micah have been best friends since they got "married" when they were six years old.  They are now thirteen and still the best of friends.  

2.  *They are both excited about summer vacation, hanging out together, and spending time at the beach.  But Rachel's world is about to change.

3.  *She and her younger sister begin to realize their parents are having financial issues.  As much as they try not to involved the kids, both girls are becoming more and more worried about what will happen to their family and their home.  

4.  *Micah has always liked Rachel in more "ways' than she can return to him.  She isn't sure she likes him in that way and hopes that doesn't affect their friendship.  

5.  *Both Rachel and Micah face many changes during the summer vacation and try to keep their friendship at the forefront.


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *Jo Knowles created a strong cast of characters from Rachel to Micah to the new friends.  The parents and neighbor couple were developed as well.  

2.  *I always enjoy a story about a female and male friendship.  This was was dynamic since one person felt more than the other.  It added complexity to their friendship.  

3.  *I thought Rachel's character and what was she was dealing with was real, authentic, and genuine.  

4.  *Unless I missed it, I wasn't entirely sure why Rachel's parents were experiencing such financial struggles.  I'm not sure it would be important to young readers; but was something I thought about.  

5.  *Throughout the pages of the novel there were several important and timely issues addressed.  The story didn't get bogged down with this and there were also many humorous and light-hearted moments as well.  A terrific balance.  


Who Should Read It:   I think this novel would be best suited for a fifth and/or sixth grade classroom.  Because the characters are in middle-school, the story would also be wonderful for a middle-school classroom and/or library.  If you have read other novels by Jo Knowles, then you definitely need to add her newest title to your TBR list.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   4 STARS out of 5 Stars!