Saturday, October 28, 2023

Next Door To Happy by Allison Weiser Strout - ADVISABLE

Next Door To Happy
by Allison Weiser Strout
, 184 pages. Margaret Ferguson Books (Holiday House), 2022. $18 

Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

12yo Violet is not especially happy - things aren't great at her house. Her father just moved out and her mother suffers from crippling anxiety. She has no siblings and nobody to play with. She will start middle school soon and she will not know anybody there. Then, one day the Walker family moves in next door. They have several children and Reggie is the same age as Violet. Actually, Violet gets along with the whole family and often eats dinner with them. One day Violet accidentally overhears Mrs. Walker telling Reggie that she does not think that Violet is an "appropriate" friend. Violet discovers that no family is perfect as she struggles to find a way to fit in and be a friend. 

I think there are a lot of children like Violet who struggle to fit in, find friends, and feel secure in who they are. Violet is going to have to face some hard truths and come to terms with how her life is. A great read and I highly recommend this book. Characters are default white.

Ellen-Anita. Librarian 

No comments: