The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko

How I Came Across It... *This middle-grade novel came to me via Penguin Random House Publishers and I was thrilled to receive a copy. I was excited to read because the story had been receiving such positive praise. After reading, I knew hwy. What It's About - Five Things You Need to Know... *Hank and Boo are left on their own when their mother doesn't come home one night.

*She has disappeared before, but never for this long.

*After a day or two, Hank knows this time is different, and he needs to do something for himself and younger sister.

*He finds the name of a friend of his grandmother's and gets himself and his sister to her house.

*She take them in, but makes it clear it isn't for the longterm.

*With the help of a variety of adults, Hank learns what it means to have a family and letting people help you.

What I Thought of It - Five Observations/Reflections... *Wonderful, powerful, emotion.

*This story was well written, characters with depth, and a plot that moved along at a perfect pace.

*Hank was one of a kind character and I rooted for him during the entire read.  

*There were so many important life-lessons presented throughout the story and I know readers will gain so much from reading his story.  

*I liked that the author didn't shy away from a tough topic and didn't write about a mother with all glowing attributes.  She handled it with authenticity, grace, and heart.  

Who Should Read It... *A powerful middle-grade novel geared toward the fifth and sixth grade reader. The book would also be perfect to put in the hands of the middle-school reader and/or used as a class read aloud. So much to discuss. Happy Reading! Rating... 5 out of 5 stars