Beginner’s Welcome by Cindy Baldwin - ADVISABLE

Beginner’s Welcome by Cindy Baldwin, 325 pages. HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2020. $17.

Language: G (1 Swear, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Trying to navigate the loss of her father at such a young age, Annie Lee is feeling a little lost. Life changed for Annie Lee in so many ways after her father had passed away, at the beginning of the summer before her sixth grade year. She was having a very hard time dealing with her grief, and felt so alone. She lost her best friends as things became really awkward between them. Annie Lee has to change schools as a move from her home to an apartment across town became necessary and was yet another change to deal with. Amidst all of this turmoil in young Annie Lee’s life, she discovers a new way of life, making wonderful friends, and building a better relationship with her Mom along the way.

Cindy Baldwin’s book is a very tender story about love and loss, and of dealing with grief and making it through hard times. Beginner’s Welcome is well written, and would be a great help for any young reader dealing with the loss of a loved one. The PG rating for mature content was due to the theme of losing a parent at such a young age. Through her character, Annie Lee, Baldwin touches on so many sensitive and real feelings that one experiences with the loss of a loved one, but more importantly, hers is a voice of hope which illustrates the overcoming of such feelings and experiences.

Reviewer: J. Nielson