Uprooted by his parents, 11-year old Hugo is struggling to fit in at his new middle school. Extra small for his age, Hugo has always been the brunt of jokes. He lives in the shadow of his cool cousin Vijay, a natural leader and admired by their classmates. What can Hugo possibly do to win the respect of others? Then, Hugo shows his unusual talent for “garbology” — he can tell a lot about a person by the trash they throw away. Almost instantly, Hugo is in demand to help students get the girl, make the team, or get in good with a teacher. Trouble at home brews just as Hugo is at the pique of his popularity. Written with humor and preteen angst, this book is probably best suited for upper elementary students.
Tag Archives: moving
Across the Pond by Joy McCullough
Callie, a seventh grader, gets a restart on her life when her parents inherit a castle in Scotland. Introverted and still stinging from her friend problems at her old school, Callie begs her parents to let her be homeschooled for the remainder of the year. They agree — on one condition — that she enrolls in a social activity. Inspirited by the journal of the former lady of the castle, Callie chooses a birding club.
Her parents are distracted by the renovations needed on the run-down-castle. Her extroverted brother is loving his new public school. Callie’s first acquaintance with a girl her age ends poorly. But as the story moves along, Callie learns two important things — what it means to have a true friend and how to stick up for what she believes.
I initially thought the whole “we inherited a castle in Scotland” premise was a little over-the-top until I took the time to read the author bio and discovered she had once lived in a castle in Scotland. That helped me buy into the story. While I have 6th graders at my school, who may enjoy it, I think this book would be better in an elementary school
How I Learned to Fall out of Trees
Edward and Adelia have been friends for a very long time and now she has to move. So, they gather many of their favorite things as Adelia explains to Edwin that she is going to teach him to climb a tree and fall. As she is explaining the steps to climbing (and falling from) a tree, she is also teaching Edwin to say goodbye. And, at the end, he does fall out of the tree onto all the things they used and collected and he has a smile on his face, because “Adelia made certain that falling was the easiest part of all” and saying goodbye wasn’t too painful.
This is a very sweet book that gently moves along to the day Adelia leaves and Edwin climbs her tree and let’s go (in more ways than one). Pictures are bright and the characters are sweet. While the underlying message of letting go of one’s friend might be missed by readers, the books is still a very sweet friendship story and will open up discussions about friendships.
Quincy Finds a New Home
Wow! This is a beautiful story with beautiful pictures. A young girl, about 10 years old, meets her new horse for the first time. The seller is an elderly man who feels he is too old to ride his horse any more. The horse’s point of view about the transition is portrayed in the story. He goes through the predicted feelings of astonishment and shock, sadness, disbelief, and finally love for his new owner. Every girl’s dream. Recommended. Mom’s Choice Award, Honoring Excellence.