Deer Run Home by Ann Clare LeZotte

How I Came Across It... *Scholastic Press sent me a copy of this 2024 middle-grade novel written in verse. I spent my Sunday afternoon reading the story. The book will drop on October 1, 2024. What It's About - Five Things You Need to Know... *Effie is deaf and has recently moved out of her mother's home and in with her father.

*The only family member she can really rely on is her older sister.

*When a teacher notices some "signs" about Effie, she steps in and is granted temporary custody of her.

*While Effie lives with her teacher, she realizes what life can be like outside of her father's environment.

*Effie's well being is brought to a court of law where her future will be decided by a judge. What I Thought of It - Five Observations/Reflections... *This was my first time reading something by LeZotte and I found the free-verse to be powerful.

*The text was sparse, but each word was full of emotion and delivered a punch to the reader.

*I did think there was something missing from the text as the plot seemed to be missing something and the storyline moved a bit quick.

*I wasn't quite sure how the deer fit into Effie's story, but it could have been representing survival by both of them.

*This was a tough subject matter and the author did a wonderful job of covering it.

Who Should Read It... *For me, this is definitely a middle-school story as the subject matter is mature and quite serious. The plot deals with neglect and abuse. You should be aware of that before sharing the story with a young reader. Happy Reading!

Rating...

4 out of 5 stars