Worse Than Weird by Jody J. Little

How I Heard About It:   Author, Jody J. Little, was so kind to send an ARC to our #bookexpedition Twitter group.  This novel, coming out in March of 2020, will make the rounds between readers in our reading group.  I was excited to be the second person to get their hands on the upcoming story and see what Jody came up with this time.  I so enjoyed her first novel  Mostly the Honest Truth.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Mac loves technology, coding, and staying in touch with her friends.  

2.  *This isn't an easy task when her parents are "opposed" to the modern conveniences of life.  They prefer to live off "Mother Earth".

3.  *Mac has a goal of going to a summer coding class.  The only problem is the fee to register and convincing her parents to allow her to attend.  

4.  *She sets off on a food truck "adventure" with two of her closest friends.  The three of them must search for clues and make it to the end to claim their grand prize.  

5.  *While on this search, Mac meets a mystery boy who seems to appear and disappear on his own time frame.  They team up and help each other not only with the "quest", but also within their personal lives.


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *When I received this ARC in the mail I was excited and thrilled to be able to read Jody's second novel before it enters the world.  I so enjoyed her first story.  

2.  *I was curious to read the story because I was fascinated by the cover and how all the "elements" would come together.  And come together those images came together.  

3.  *Mac was an endearing, strong, and special young girl.  I loved how she sent her mind on something and worked very hard to reach that goal.  This is definitely a trait I want my readers to embrace in their own lives.  

4.  *Just last Friday night, my wife and I went to a local Food Truck Festival so this was such a fun read.  It was entertaining to read about the clues, the trucks, the food, and how they all came together to solve a puzzle.  

5.  *One of the strongest aspects of the novel was the development of the boy who helped Mac and his family situation.  Jody J. Little was able to bring this family alive with sensitive and heartfelt writing.  


Who Should Read It:    A must have in all middle-grade classrooms.  In my opinion, I think the book could be used as a class read aloud and/or with individual readers.  Readers in grades four through eight would be perfect for the story.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   4 STARS out of 5 Stars!