Give and Take by Elly Swartz

How I Heard About It:  I got this ARC from my Twitter #bookexpedition group.  I've been waiting a LONG time to read Elly's third novel.  I absolutely loved her first two stories and couldn't wait to see what she would write the third time around.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Maggie isn't your "typical" twelve-year old girl.  She "collects" things, is on an all girls trap shooting team, and is in a family that fosters newborn babies for short periods of time.  

2.  *When their first newborn arrives, Izzy, Maggie couldn't be more thrilled to be an older sister to a baby girl.  She is use to brothers.  

3.  *Maggie and Izzy bond instantly which makes it all the more difficult when a forever home is found for the baby.  

4.  *As much as she tries to hide it from everyone, Maggie has an issue that is getting more and more out of control.  She is afraid she will forget all the memories in her life; just as her grandmother did.  

5.  *Navigating through muddy waters forces Maggie to look at her life, family/team members, and mostly herself to work through some pretty heavy life "stuff".  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *So exciting to start a new book from one of my favorite middle-grade authors.  I could blame her for me not getting to my "to-do" list today, but it would be a good kind of blame.

2.  *I enjoyed the story of Maggie, her family, and the characters that surrounded her.  I don't think I've ever read a story about a young girl dealing with the issues she was encountering.  

3.  *I've been noticing that writers are creating stories with shorter chapters.  I think this is a win-win for all readers involved.  It seems the plot flows faster and more smoothly with this format.  The reader also ends up reading more because they say, "One more chapter."  

4.  *One, of many, strong point was the relationship Maggie had with her two brothers; one younger and one older.  There were several sweet and tender moments between the siblings.  

5.  *I'm a reader that loves a story that starts out strong, remains strong, and ends strong.  That is exactly what happened within this novel.  


Who Should Read It:    Everyone should read this book.  Middle-grade readers, middle-school readers, and even high-school readers.  I'm looking forward to sharing this new novel with my class when it enters the world in October of 2019.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   5 STARS out of 5 Stars!