A Kind of Paradise by Amy Rebecca Tan

How I Heard About It:  This novel was released at the end of April, 2019.  I received a copy of the book from the publisher.  I was fascinated by the cover because of all the books.  As I began, I was excited to see what the story was all about.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *What happens when the good girl at school makes a major mistake and the whole school finds out about it?  Jamie is about to find out.  

2.  *After getting in trouble at school, Jamie is "sentenced" to summer hours of community service.  These hours take place at the public library.

3.  *Jamie is mortified after finding herself in big trouble and just wants to hide in the stacks while she serves her hours.  

4.  *While spending her days at the library, Jamie gets to know both the employees and the frequent patrons.  Each of them has their own story, past, and path their moving forward on.  

5.  *The new Mayor has plans to close the library because of funding.  Jamie and her new friends jump into action to do everything in their power to save this "kind of paradise".  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *What a truly wondering setting for a middle-grade novel  I loved how the entire story took place in the library.  Of course there were some flashbacks that took place at the school when Jamie got in trouble.  

2.  *As the reader, I didn't find out what Jamie did until towards the middle of the story.  I liked the suspense that the author created by not letting the reader in on the "secret".  

3.  *Jamie was an awesome character and learned so much about herself, and others, while spending time in the library.  

4.  *Each chapter focused on the different characters in the story.  Within the chapter, I got to know the character as they "lived" in the library and also elements of their life outside.

5.  *Of course there was the added bonus of the "mean girl" which added some juicy drama to the story.  


Who Should Read It:    I could see readers in grades three through six enjoying the story of Jamie and her summer in the library.  I'm also thinking there would be some middle-school kids that would be captivated by the plot.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   4 STARS out of 5 Stars!