In a Nutshell Reviews: Middle Grades Edition

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

The Paris Project
Donna Gephart
Age/Genre: Middle Grades, Contemporary
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Fans of the Nate series by Tim Federle and The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm will love Cleveland Rosebud Potts in this poignant and heartfelt novel from the award-winning author of Lily and Dunkin.

Cleveland Rosebud Potts has a plan. If she can check off the six items on her très important Paris Project List she will make it out of the small-minded and scorching town of Sassafras, Florida, to a rich and cultured life at The American School of Paris.

Unfortunately, everything seems to conspire against Cleveland reaching her goal.

Cleveland is ashamed of her father and angry that her mother and sister are never around because they have to work extra shifts to help out the family. Her Eiffel Tower tin has zero funds. And to top it all off, Cleveland’s best friend Jenna Finch has decided she’s too fancy for her and her neighbor Declan seems to be hiding something.

As Cleveland puts her talents to the test, she must learn how to forgive family for their faults, appreciate friends for exactly who they are, and bloom where she’s planted—even if that’s in a tiny town in central Florida that doesn’t even have a French restaurant. C’èst la vie!

Since she was first learned of the city, while reading Madeline as a child, Cleveland dreamed of attending the American School in Paris. She hatched a plan, called the Paris Project, and saved every penny she made in an effort to achieve her dream. However, Cleveland had to worry about the future of her Parisian plans, once her father was incarcerated and she became the town outcast.

• Pro: Cleveland was absolutely wonderful! Guard your heart, because this little girl is going to steal it. I loved her enthusiasm for all things Parisian. The way she was trying to learn the language, about the food, and about the culture was admirable, but she also was willing to work really hard to make her dream come to fruition. She was moving and shaking and walking dogs in order to earn the money to finance her Parisian education. I also found her plucky and charming, and thought she had one of the biggest hearts around.
• Pro: Things were tough for the Potts family after dad was incarcerated, but these ladies didn’t let it take their spirit or their pride. They dug in, worked harder, and let their love provide the strength they needed to keep going.
• Pro: Gephart did such a beautiful job with Cleveland’s feelings regarding her father’s transgressions and gambling addictions. The battle she fought with herself over being angry, disappointed, and ashamed, while still loving and missing her father came across as very genuine, and my heart ached for her. The ideas of suffering for the sins of her father and forgiveness was well utilized, and provided some standout moments in this story.
• Pro: Though there were five years separating Cleveland and her sister, Georgia, they shared a phenomenal sisterly bond. Their love, affection, and dedication to each other brought happy tears to my eyes, and seeing them support each other just about made my heart explode.
• Pro: When everyone else abandoned her, Declan, her best friend, stood by her side. He shared many wonderful and tough moments with Cleveland, and also fully support her goal to live in Paris. I thought both him and his father were a fantastic part of Cleveland’s circle, and though Cleve and Dec went through a rough patch, they without exception, fully accepted and cared for each other.
• Pro: That ending made me mush. The family was experiencing more and more difficulties, and just when it seemed as though none of the Potts would succeed, things took a turn for the better. Yes there was some sacrifice a la the fisherman and his wife, but it was such a beautiful and touching sacrifice they were willing to make for each other.

Overall: A story of hope, healing, forgiveness, and family, which warmed my heart.

Friend or Fiction
Abby Cooper
Age/Genre: Middle Grades, Magical Realism
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

One creative middle-schooler schooler discovers that the best friend a girl can have is the one she makes herself in this charming magical realism read.

Jade's life hasn't exactly been normal lately, especially since her dad's cancer diagnosis. Jade wishes her family could leave their no-name town in Colorado already--everybody else does sooner rather than later, including every best friend Jade's ever had. So she makes one up. In the pages of her notebook, she writes all about Zoe--the most amazing best friend anyone could dream of.

But when pretend Zoe appears in real life thanks to a magical experiment gone right, Jade isn't so sure if she likes sharing her imaginary friend with the real world. To keep her best friend (and even make some new ones), Jade learns how to cope with jealousy, that friends should let friends be true to themselves, and that maybe the perfect best friend doesn't exist after all.

Living in a town, where people frequently come and go, left Jade feeling alone at a time, when she really needed a best friend. Her solution was to create a new bestie, Zoe, but when her new friend emerged from the page into real world, it prompted Jade to consider the complexities of friendship and the role writing took in her life.

• Pro: I could not resist Jade. I felt so much empathy towards her, as she battled her loneliness and sadness due to her father's recurrent cancer, but I also loved her introspection, her affection for her family, and her passion for writing. 
• Pro: The entire concept of Jade's Oppservations was a win for me. I adored the idea of reflecting on the dual nature of things. These Oppservations were very keen and revealed a lot about Jade's emotions and worries. 
• Pro: The focus on writing as an outlet and a craft was wonderful, and I also liked how this was used to help Jade reflect on her family, friendship, and feelings about everything was was going on in her life. 
• Pro: Things had changed for the Levy family following her father's illness, but they still had so much love for one another, and it was a special treat being able to spend time with them all. 
• Pro: Friendship was the central focus of this story, as Jade struggled with what it meant to be a friend, have a friend, and share a friend. The idea that you can be friends with someone, but they don't belong to you. It's definitely something that challenged me in my youth, and I felt it was addressed rather well in the story. 
• Pro: The book leaned towards fun and upbeat, but having it set in an economically challenged town and containing a subplot of Jade's father's battle with cancer added a bit of weight. That said, it was handled beautifully and with sensitivity, and left me feeling rather happy and hopeful. 

Overall: A lovely story of family and friendship with a touch of magic, that was thoughtful and heartwarming.


** ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

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