Publishers Weekly Review
"Everything is funnier with a mustache" is 12-year-old Maddie's motto, and she has fake press-on ones for every occasion, including imaginative stories and games she makes up on the spot. Maddie's offbeat sense of humor is the heart of this story from spouses Morris and Brown, which was inspired by their own daughter. Maddie is trying to make inroads with cool classmate Cassie, who handpicks the girls she hangs out with during recess and tells them which parts to try out for in an upcoming performance of scenes from Shakespeare. Maddie secretly auditions for Juliet (the role Cassie wants) and is overjoyed when she gets it, but her life takes a turn when her family learns that she has a brain tumor. Maddie learns to stand up for herself and face her fears head-on in this moving story of courage and heart. Morris and Brown balance the gravity of Maddie's illness with her buoyant imagination as she navigates the reality of the surgery she needs and the politics of sixth grade. Ages 8-11. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. |
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Twelve-year-old Maddie Bridger has a great imagination. She likes to imagine herself heroically fighting monsters, or even speaking out when Cassie, the most popular girl in her class, excludes other people at recess. But then Maddie comes face-to-face with an unexpected foe: a brain tumor that is affecting the right side of her body, and may leave her blind if it isn't removed. While trying to cope with the life-threatening prospect of brain surgery, Maddie also faces challenges at school: Cassie is jealous that Maddie has been cast as Juliet in the upcoming Shakespearean short plays, and starts a rumor that Maddie invented the tumor to get attention. At first Maddie is furious that Cassie could tell such a terrible lie, but she begins to realize that Cassie is facing challenges of her own. Meanwhile, although her first surgery is a success, a cyst on the part of the tumor the surgeon couldn't remove leaves her in renewed danger, and facing an even riskier surgery. Based on the true story of the authors' daughter, this is a moving novel about a truly brave girl. Maddie is a wonderfully thoughtful, creative, and funny protagonist, with whom readers will identify as she grapples with her social and physical challenges . The title comes from her love of fake mustaches, which she carries around to lighten the mood wherever she goes, and which become a viral sensation when she is hospitalized. Although the novel does not reveal the outcome of Maddie's second surgery, an author's note explains that the real Maddie recovered completely, and that thousands of people really did wear fake mustaches to show their support for her. VERDICT This poignant and uplifting novel is a good read-alike for fans of R.J. Palacio's Wonder.-Ashley Larsen, -Pacifica Libraries, CA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. |