Tag Archives: Middle Grade Readers

The Truth about Twinkie Pie

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Yeh, Kat. The Truth About Twinkie Pie. New York: Little Brown and Company, 2015. 978-0-316-23662-1. $17.00. 339p. Gr. 5-8.
Gigi, short for Galileo Galilei, has a top notch recipe for a successful school year.  After her sister wins the top prize of a million dollars in a cooking contest, she uproots the family and moves to a posh New York neighborhood.  This steamy new school year will be garnished with noteworthy changes for Gigi.  First would be her new name, Leia; then a chic haircut and trendy wardrobe.  Her sister is quite astonished with the refined and improved Gigi.  She has grown accustomed to the reliable, straight-A, focused student who eats lunch in the library and studies in her room most evenings.  Now G – I mean Leia has a delectable young crush, a pressing social calendar, and loyal friends.  In the midst of her exciting year, she unassumingly dredges up a secret about her missing mother that sends Gigi on a harrowing adventure to the trailer parks of South Carolina with her adversary, now deemed savior, by her side.  With a dash of laughter, a sprinkle of courage, and a pinch of determination, Gigi might just live up to the high expectations of her name, and finish her Truth Poem in the process.
Gigi is a quirky, entertaining young narrator.  Living in the age of healthy, nutritious school lunches, Gigi shows up with her EZ Cheeze Crunch sandwich on white bread, while the boys drool unabashedly, hoping for a crumb or scrap.  Intermittently scattered throughout the book, Gigi includes her mama’s recipes; even her favorite – My Famous Twinkie Pie.  Readers will enjoy her smart quips when dealing with mean girls and her refreshing honesty to “Saying It Like It Is”.  This story has lots of potential as a book club choice for mothers and daughters.  The little surprises and plot twists will leave readers wanting to discuss the details over homemade treats.

Realistic Fiction       Christine Massey, JWP Middle School

The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days

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Hurwitz, Michele Weber. The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2014. 978-0-385-37106-3. 264p. $16.99. Gr. 5-8.

Nina Ross is a bored thirteen year-old.  It’s summer, a time most teenagers yearn for, but with her parents working all the time, her brother ignoring her most of the time, and the death of her grandmother the past year, Nina isn’t having the time of her life.  That is until Nina sees her neighbor, Mrs. Chung, struggling with her flowers and decides to help out.  Without ever letting Mrs. Chung know, Nina plants the flowers and realizes that one act of kindness can change a person’s day.  Nina’s summer quickly goes from boring to purposeful as she decides to complete one random act of kindness for her neighbors each day for the entire summer; 65 kind acts for the 65 days of summer.  This seems like an easy task until Nina’s know-it-all neighbor, Mrs. Millman, begins to stakeout the neighborhood for the “vandal” doing good deeds.  Nina’s new stealth in completing her tasks allows her to learn more about her neighborhood, brother, and friends, which leads Nina to grow herself.  This is a great read for middle school girls trying to figure out where they belong and who they want to be.

I picked up The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days because the title was intriguing.  As I began reading the novel, I was quickly caught up with Nina and her neighbors.  I enjoyed learning about each household as Nina developed her own self and identity.   My biggest issue with the novel is the front cover.  The girl on the cover looks to be to be in her 20s, not a 13 year-old.  This at times distracted from the fact that Nina is only a middle-schooler, not a teenager.  Besides this fact, this novel is endearing and a great book to have to help students realize that kindness goes a long way.

Realistic Fiction    Erin Parkinson, Lincoln JSHS, Ellwood City