True to Your Heart: THAT'S NOT HAY IN MY HAIR by Juliette Turner

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Would you look at that? We're saying goodbye to another week and with it done more fabulous reading titles for your wish or to-read lists. Really can't say I'm sorry if you added a few... because I'm not. 😉 Let's keep that ball rolling with a Friday send off that reminds us that starting over can happen at any age and for any number of reasons... it's not the end of the world unless we make it so. Ready or not, here comes today's book of choice...

THAT'S NOT HAY IN MY HAIR

by

Juliette Turner

9780310732440

Zonderkidz

About the book...

New York City life had crammed sidewalks, gasoline-filled puddles, and angry taxi drivers, but Juliette enjoyed the towering sky-scrapers, the half-block walk to school, and the restaurant smells wafting into her bedroom. She had never cared for a horse, let alone a long-horn, when her mother announced their imminent move to a 300 acre ranch in Texas, where they would be caring for three horses, five dogs, twenty-five longhorns, and a cat … all by themselves.

Juliette couldn’t help feeling excited, even though she’d have to climb a hill to get a bar of cell-phone service. Soon she was running from bats and snakes, rescuing a calf from a twenty-foot ditch, medicating ponies, and having adventures so crazy it’s hard to believe they’re for real—but it all happened exactly how it’s written.

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This is a unique read for the Kid Lit and Tween Fiction set because while it's technically fictitious, it comes from the life experiences of our young author.  How does that affect our story? Ah, you'll see...

Within the pages of this charming adventure, Jules is transplanted from busy busy NYC to the slower paced life of Texas. Skyscrapers have been traded for ranch houses, hundreds of communters for heads of cattle, and prestine fashion for making it out the for in a clean outfit becoming a success. Oh and with all the trading going on, that pace of life mentioned... yeah, not so slow and nor uneventful. While at first throwing Jules for a loop, she quickly gets it under wraps. Oh sure, there's the occasional hiccup and moments of oh-my-word-where-the-hay-am-I, but in truth, she handled it much better than most teenagers  would have that's for sure (can we say lack of cell signal?). Pretty soon, her new routine is second nature and the stories she'll be telling on her porch while reminiscing in old age are that much more filled with a life well lived.

I have to say, at first I wasn't sure if I was going to get along with this book. Why? Well, it's a little slow in the storyline department and as for plot twists, they are more of an ordinary nature, so I was initially waiting for something more to happen. As I kept reading, I began to understand that it wasn't about the fantastical happening or hidden skeletons coming to haunt them, but about LIFE... just a little more country. 😉 Jules and her mom are wonderful, as are their neighbors despite the acreage that divides them. Borrowing a cup of sugar? Child's play! "Saving" you from a snake or a calf from a pit or any other of the weird and wonderful things that can occur on a ranch... so much more! 

So you see, in the end, I really enjoyed my time in Texas as well as the voice of our young narrator/author. She brought the lifestyle switcheroo to us in full living color and made it accessible to readers of tween age and beyond. Change can be hard at any age, but if we put our faith where it belongs and lead with our hearts, we're sure to reach a happier ending.  Recommended read for tweens and beyond.

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Special thanks to the Zondervankidz team for the review copy. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the punisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time... happy reading!