Shine by J.J and Chris Grabenstein - ESSENTIAL

Shine by J.J and Chris Grabenstein, 207 pages. Random House, 2019. $17                 

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS  - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Piper Milly is a 7th grader and her dad is a choir director at her school. After the midwinter concert, which her dad's choir wins, he is offered a job at a a most prestigious private school., Chumley Prep. His job also comes with free tuition for Piper. Piper is nervous about leaving her friends and her school. She has met some of the students for her new school and they were not very nice. However, Piper quickly finds some new friends, and she loves her new science teacher and her English teacher. She enters the Science Fair, helps Tim out with his magic tricks and is doing good.   

I loved this book! Piper is such a believable character and she is not afraid to be herself. She is bullied and belittled by the "queen" of her new school, but she keeps right on doing what she knows is right, doing her best, and just being her. She and her dad have a great relationship. She makes some new friends. I especially liked how these characters thrived doing what they loved, magic, science, math and just sticking together. This book is awesome, and I highly recommend it. It would be great as a read-a-loud to a whole class, or to one child.   

Ellen-Anita, Librarian