Language: PG (2 swears (Diety) 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Augusta has had a rough year, her parents got a divorce and she has started 6th grade in middle school. Both cause lots of life changes. She has to split her time between her mother's and father's homes, and money is tight, so the promised contact lenses are out of the question. Her sister Louise is in 4th grade and is always asking Gus what middle school is like, and this novel is a letter from Gus to her sister describing her first few months. One of Augusta's teachers challenges the kids to "find their tribe". Her best friend Layla is going to a different middle school and has already made new friends. Other kids changed over the summer and have different friend groups, so Gus is on her own to make new friends or find old friends she had taken for granted.
Does Kristin Mahoney teach middle school? She's got this, the representations of all the different kids, the kind teachers and the strict ones, what happens in the halls, problems with lockers and lunch - a well rounded representation of middle school with a great story line. I liked that each chapter introduced another character, some stayed with the story and others didn't, but that wasn't a problem. I think this will be liked more by upper elementary, but I'm certainly buying a copy for my 7-9 middle school.
Lisa Librarian
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