Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're jumping ahead to a MUST READ Middle Grade Fiction release coming March 2018! That's right....March, next year. Hey, it IS already October as it is, and the new year will be upon us before you know it, so if I've READ ALL ABOUT IT already, I think it's high time to share the excitement. Agreed? Great! So, let's get to it. Today's book of choice is ready to brighten up the corners of your life with a tale straight from the heart. Ladies and gents, Middle Grade readers of various ages, make way for the featured title...
by
Corrina Austin
9781939844408
About the book...
Everyone needs their own special corner...
It’s 1969 and ten-year-old Davy is in a predicament. With two weeks remaining of the summer holidays, he’s expelled from the public pool for sneaking into the deep end and almost drowning. How will he break the news to his hard-working single mother? She’s at the diner all day, Davy has no friends, and he’s too young to stay by himself.
The answer lies in his rescuer, mysterious thirteen-year-old Ellis Wynn. Visiting her Grammy for the summer, Ellis offers to babysit Davy. She teaches him about “corners”–forgotten or neglected areas fixed up special. Together, the kids tackle several “corners” and Davy learns what it means to bring joy to others.
Davy begins to wonder, though. Why does Ellis want to be his friend? Why doesn’t she ever smile? And is Davy just one of Ellis’ “corners?”
It’s 1969 and ten-year-old Davy is in a predicament. With two weeks remaining of the summer holidays, he’s expelled from the public pool for sneaking into the deep end and almost drowning. How will he break the news to his hard-working single mother? She’s at the diner all day, Davy has no friends, and he’s too young to stay by himself.
The answer lies in his rescuer, mysterious thirteen-year-old Ellis Wynn. Visiting her Grammy for the summer, Ellis offers to babysit Davy. She teaches him about “corners”–forgotten or neglected areas fixed up special. Together, the kids tackle several “corners” and Davy learns what it means to bring joy to others.
Davy begins to wonder, though. Why does Ellis want to be his friend? Why doesn’t she ever smile? And is Davy just one of Ellis’ “corners?”
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This is a story about love and loss, wrapped in a blanket of friendship, and delivered under the guise of just being another tale of a summer gone by. Trust me, it's not.
Young Davy doesn't start his summer hoping to be booted from the public pool, but that is where he finds himself after his almost-near-death-experience. Why almost? Well, there happened to be a young girl with a quick eye, and even surer strokes that whisked him from his almost-watery-non-grave (presumably a lifeguard would have noticed in time)...and that would be Ellis. We quickly learn that nothing really gets passed her and I mean that in the best way possible. She strives to bring sunlight to everyone's day but not in the overbearing-smile-or-I'll-never-leave-your-side sorta way. Oh no. She's much more subtle, with much more lasting effects, and simply just...MUCH MORE. She's a sweetheart that has her own bumps and bruises, yet despite her own worries, pushes herself to help others. It's her way of dealing and while not the most direct, one certainly can't say it isn't healthy. The friendship that he and she build is heart warming...as are the strength found in that bond oh so many years later.
In the end, I was as charmed by Ellis' magical corners as I was by the memories shared. The writing style reminds me of the storytelling method used in The Princess Bride, though this is far more reality based. While Davy and Ellis are the main characters once upon a time, Davy is also the narrator in the here-and-now recollecting that special summer to his young son...complete with the request to leave out the yucky parts. *smirk* The things they accomplished both for themselves and for others will bring a smile to your face. The miscommunications and misunderstandings will bring a wee bit of frustration but also laughter, as the truth is finally understood. It may even inspire the next generation to start a corner mission of their own...after all, who couldn't use a place to go to truly be themselves. Recommended for Middle Grade readers, from kiddos to adults.
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About the author...
Corrina Austin is a retired elementary school teacher, living in beautiful South-Western Ontario, Canada. She has Bachelor’s degrees in both English and Education. Corrina has published several short stories and essays and was twice the recipient of grants for a novel in progress from the Ontario Arts Council. “Corners” was inspired by her experiences as a child growing up in the 1960’s and contains many artifacts from her memories of those times. While honing her craft as a writer, Corrina strives to infuse the ordinary with beauty, whimsy, and connection.
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Special thanks to the team at Dancing Lemur Press LLC for 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 set to release MARCH 2018 (as of this post), so mark your calendar or pre-order your copy today!
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
