Thursday, July 16, 2020

A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Joy McCullough - ADVISABLE

A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Joy McCullough, 213 pages. Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster), 2020. $18.

Content G


BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – ADVISABLE


AUDIENCE APPEAL:  AVERAGE


9yo Sutton is a homeschooled brainiac.  She recites the periodic table of elements every morning at breakfast and is intent on winning the state science fair with her mini-bot she is coding.  Luis is also her age, but he loves fantasy and dreams of adventure while writing a book, though he is stuck inside a lot due to a multitude of allergies.  Sutton’s and Luis’ worlds collide when their parents decide to date and Luis and Sutton have to suddenly put aside their differences in order to survive.


Told in alternating chapters, both characters have distinctive personalities and problems they are dealing with, both of which prove isolating.  Luis’ character builds empathy for those dealing with life-threatening allergies.  Sutton’s mother is alive, but heavily involved in an out-of-town career.  Both sets of parents and adults are portrayed sympathetically. Good way to broach themes of change, introspection, and going out of your comfort zone.  You may even learn something about penguins!


Michelle in the Middle 


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