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Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today's featured title comes to us via Walden Pond Press and just celebrated its BOOK BIRTHDAY this past week 🥳, so you know it's out there in the great big blue...um, bookstore... just waiting to be discovered. By whom? Well, a reader like you.
Someone who enjoys a good story, who doesn't shy away from heavy ideas, who revels in all the feels a tale can present, and walks away changed in some fashion by the impact of what they've read. Or maybe even someone going through just what these characters are in some way, and that sounding board, that visual reference can help them see the light through the intensity. Whatever your reason may be, I've read this author's works in the past, and haven't been led astray yet, so when I heard about this one, I knew I had to find out more. Ladies and gents, readers of Middle-grade fiction and perhaps beyond, let's take a closer look at what I've found between the pages of today's book of choice...
by
John David Anderson
9780063279360
Walden Pond Press
About the book...
From John David Anderson, the beloved author of Posted comes a powerful, poignant, and unexpected upper middle grade novel about the rules in life that box us in and the determination to break out. From the moment Kassandra Connor leaps from the diving board to the moment she hits the water, everything feels in control.
The rest of her life does not. St. Lawrence Academy is supposed to have everything Kass’s old school didn’t: safe hallways, small classes, and most important, a chance to dive. But since transferring, all Kass can think about is what’s missing. Like her best friend, Aleah, who’s starting to pull away. Or the comfortable life so many of her classmates enjoy while Kass’s family’s restaurant struggles to stay afloat. Even the excitement she always felt in the pool, now that she’s on the same team as Amber Moore—the best diver in the state, who’s barely said two words to her all year.
Kass feels like she’s drowning, until she meets a boy named Miles. He’s a diver, too—someone who searches through dumpsters in the posh side of town for things he can salvage or sell. Miles knows what it’s like to be boxed in by things you can’t control, and as Kass spends more and more time with him, she starts to wonder what would happen if she tried to break out of her own box—and what she might lose by doing so.
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Here's the thing about this author's books...there's always something you can connect with. They deal with human emotions, situations that can happen in real life, and have characters that every reader can find themselves in. Take this story...
There are people that live like Miles, whether by choice or by necessity. They are no different than you or I, and to think otherwise does everyone a disservice. One isn't smarter, richer, or more benevolent, because they have everything they want, and never want for anything. One isn't uneducated, poor, or unkind, because they struggle daily or live a different lifestyle. Taking the time to get to know one another allows us the means to find the common ground on which to build. Understanding where the other is coming from, and what their needs might be, helps in making sure they can be met. Not everyone wants someone to fix their situation... sometimes just being acknowledged, being seen is enough. I'm afraid I got off on a tangent here... let me zone back in a little.
Kass and Miles may seemingly live different lives, but that doesn't mean they're that far apart. He shows her how to notice things, and opens her eyes to the world around her that she didn't know she was missing. She shows him that anyone can feel boxed in within their own lives, and the ability to break out is entirely within ourselves. I loved seeing this friendship blossom, the usually unseen or ignored made known, and each of them reach for a better tomorrow, one moment at a time. There's not a quick fix that sticks for anything, but those goals and dreams worth the effort are something to put the work in for.
A great read for Middle-grade Fiction fans of all ages, a great addition to the author's body of works, and a perfectly timed release for the kiddos heading back to school. We need more times when the line between classes is blurred, where the facade is seen through and the truth is left to shine. Maybe one day, we can all be our true authentic selves without shame or repercussions... but the only way to get there is one person at a time.
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About the author...
John David Anderson is the author of some of the most beloved and highly acclaimed books for kids in recent memory, including the New York Times Notable Book Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, Posted, Granted, Sidekicked, and The Dungeoneers. A dedicated root beer connoisseur and chocolate fiend, he lives with his family in Indianapolis, Indiana. You can visit him online at www.johndavidanderson.org
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Special thanks to Debbie and the Walden Pond Press team for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the ARC for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to snag your copy today, and be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!
August 19 | @nerdybookclub | |
August 20 | @teachers_read | |
August 21 | @mariaselke | |
August 22 | @grgenius | |
August 23 | @litcoachlou |
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
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