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Magnin, Joyce
3 Reviews
(4)
4-6
During the summer of 1968, eleven-year-old Joyce's brother is MIA in Vietnam, casting a pall over the family dynamics. Her older sister's testiness makes sharing a bedroom so difficult that Joyce retreats to the roof of their Pennsylvania row house, where she befriends a fellow roof-dwelling neighborhood boy. Heartfelt but slow-moving, this semi-autobiographical novel may struggle to resonate with today's young readers.
Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin
(4)
4-6
Self-proclaimed "unwanted and misunderstood" orphan Wilma Sue finds herself embroiled in a series of mishaps at her new foster home. Two offbeat spinster sisters take in Wilma Sue and encourage her imagination through cake-baking and chicken-coop-tending. Though the ending is somewhat saccharine, this is a satisfyingly quirky tale of finding magic in unexpected places and the power of hope and acceptance.
Reviewer: Lauren Kim
(4)
4-6
After her best friend Mason's death, thirteen-year-old Luna moves in with Mason's mentally disabled mother, Ruby Day. Luna matures quickly as she cares for the woman. The readable Christian-themed novel is less a story than it is a lesson in standing up for what is morally right.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
3 reviews
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