Just My Luck by Cammie McGovern
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Group: Middle Grade (8-12)
Publishing Date: February 23, 2016 By HarperCollins
Summary: So the Barrows family is one of interest. There'd Benny, who's the fourth grader that just can't seem to stop playing with his Legos, there's Martin, freshman at the high school, with his way out-of-his-league girlfriend Lisa, and then there's George...who's autistic. He thinks differently than everybody else, and needs help with a lot of things, but he is extremely amazing at memorizing lines from books or movies, and is even great at bicycling. It all happened at the track. Benny was doing laps when all of a sudden he just couldn't break fast enough. The next thing you know, his dad is out with a head injury, and suddenly he has forgotten everything, and starts to act more...interesting than George. Then, at school, they start a contest, where whatever class does the most nice deeds and gets recognized by a teacher wins a pizza party. Jeremy, Benny's best friend, racks up good deeds quickly, while it seems like no teacher is ever around when Benny does a good thing. It seems like the only happy ending for Benny is in his Lego movies that he films and edits himself. The real question is: can he find the same happy ending for him in real life?
What I Liked: This book was one of those books where there wasn't much action in it. It wasn't the most thrill-a-second book I've ever read, and it wasn't filled with romance or whatever that most middle school books have. Instead, this book was really special to me. It kind of made me take a step back and think. It was very humbling and calm, the tone never went intense, and yet, the plot line felt amazing. It's hard to describe, but this was one of the most calm books I've ever read. It also taught me a lot more about autism than I ever would've learned on my own. They're minds just work differently, which is not any reason to make fun of autisitc kids. It's like making fun of your friend because they're unique, and while the book really doesn't cover bullying, I thought it was worth mentioning. It really submerges you into the book and tugs on your heartstrings in a sweet and soft way without making you just start bawling.
What I Didn't Like: I mean, I pretty much mentioned it, this isn't the next Jurassic World people. If you don't want to read a book with give or take no climax, I mean I'm not stopping you. You're really going to miss out on a great book, but a lot of kids (like me) just want excitement in their book. This is one of those books that just makes you think, not one which will give you absolute entertainment (but yes, it is very engaging)
Rating on 'the scale': 9,1 out of 10
Why? Amazing Book, Cammie McGovern tackled a difficult subject in a light-hearted way. Just I know a lot of kids will hate the little action, so I have to balance it out.
Age Group: Middle Grade (8-12)
Publishing Date: February 23, 2016 By HarperCollins
Summary: So the Barrows family is one of interest. There'd Benny, who's the fourth grader that just can't seem to stop playing with his Legos, there's Martin, freshman at the high school, with his way out-of-his-league girlfriend Lisa, and then there's George...who's autistic. He thinks differently than everybody else, and needs help with a lot of things, but he is extremely amazing at memorizing lines from books or movies, and is even great at bicycling. It all happened at the track. Benny was doing laps when all of a sudden he just couldn't break fast enough. The next thing you know, his dad is out with a head injury, and suddenly he has forgotten everything, and starts to act more...interesting than George. Then, at school, they start a contest, where whatever class does the most nice deeds and gets recognized by a teacher wins a pizza party. Jeremy, Benny's best friend, racks up good deeds quickly, while it seems like no teacher is ever around when Benny does a good thing. It seems like the only happy ending for Benny is in his Lego movies that he films and edits himself. The real question is: can he find the same happy ending for him in real life?
What I Liked: This book was one of those books where there wasn't much action in it. It wasn't the most thrill-a-second book I've ever read, and it wasn't filled with romance or whatever that most middle school books have. Instead, this book was really special to me. It kind of made me take a step back and think. It was very humbling and calm, the tone never went intense, and yet, the plot line felt amazing. It's hard to describe, but this was one of the most calm books I've ever read. It also taught me a lot more about autism than I ever would've learned on my own. They're minds just work differently, which is not any reason to make fun of autisitc kids. It's like making fun of your friend because they're unique, and while the book really doesn't cover bullying, I thought it was worth mentioning. It really submerges you into the book and tugs on your heartstrings in a sweet and soft way without making you just start bawling.
What I Didn't Like: I mean, I pretty much mentioned it, this isn't the next Jurassic World people. If you don't want to read a book with give or take no climax, I mean I'm not stopping you. You're really going to miss out on a great book, but a lot of kids (like me) just want excitement in their book. This is one of those books that just makes you think, not one which will give you absolute entertainment (but yes, it is very engaging)
Rating on 'the scale': 9,1 out of 10
Why? Amazing Book, Cammie McGovern tackled a difficult subject in a light-hearted way. Just I know a lot of kids will hate the little action, so I have to balance it out.
This is not my type of book.
ReplyDeleteI've added this one to my books to read. It sounds like the story does a good job of bringing understanding to a difficult problem. Thanks for your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteMost boys like books with super thrills, excitement and/or belly laughs. You are to be commended for sticking with a realistic and low-key type of book. And it sounds really interesting!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your comments about how calming the book is to read! Sometimes quiet books are good for the soul. And, this book has a character that is autistic -- I'm always on the look out for kids in MG novels who have a different ability! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI really like quiet books, especially when they carry an important message. I will definitely check this one out. Thanks for your candid comments.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds interesting. I love books about kids with disabilities, and I like how you described this as a book that made you think. I recently read a book by this same author that was about a girl with cerebral palsy that was really good. I'll be checking this one out.
ReplyDeleteMiddle grade authors need to learn how to balance action with Deep Thoughts. There are a lot who do ( read Anderson's Ms. bixby's Last Day), so I tend not to buy slow, sad books for my middle school library. There's limited money, and I can't buy everything!
ReplyDelete