The Secrets of Blueberries, Brothers, Moose & Me

by Sara Nickerson

A moving story of finding yourself in the face of big changes--ideal for fans of J udy Blume , Fish in a Tree, and Counting by 7s

To make some extra money, twelve-year-old Missy and her older brother Patrick get summer jobs picking blueberries at a local farm. For Missy, though, it's about more than just money-- it's the perfect distraction from the fact that her two best friends have gone off to summer camp without her and that her dad is getting remarried. She'd love for everything to stay the way it is, but she soon discovers that the summer is full of the secrets to making her family feel whole again; the secrets to keeping her two best friends from changing and leaving her behind; the secrets of a local farm's blood feud; and most importantly, the secrets of blueberries.

"A sampling of classic summer adventure."--The New York Times

"This tale is as sweet as summer blueberries."--Detroit Free Press

Genres: Coming Of Age, Realistic Fiction, Juvenile, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Childrens, Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published June 9, 2015

About the author

Sara Nickerson began her professional writing career working in television and film. Her first novel, HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY AND NEVER BE FOUND, started out as a screenplay. She is the author of two other middle grade novels: THE SECRETS OF BLUEBERRIES, BROTHERS, MOOSE & ME and LAST MEETING OF THE GORILLA CLUB. Sara lives in Seattle and is currently working on a new middle grade novel - one with only four words in the title.

Reviews

[Celeste_pewter · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who struggled quite a bit with the idea of change when she was younger, I always appreciate books that help younger readers work out how to accept those changes in their lives. Which is why, The Secrets of Blueberries, Brothers, Moose & Me made it quickly onto my must-read books for 2015.

Missy is a twelve-year-old girl, who is slowly starting to see the world around her shift into something she doesn't fully understand. Her older brother Patrick is starting to focus more on his appearance and pulling away from her; their father is getting remarried, and even her two best friends are starting to pursue different interests.

So when Missy and Patrick find a summer job picking blueberries on a nearby farm, Missy thinks that this is a perfect opportunity to remain close to her brother. However, secrets involving a long-time feud on the farm and the blueberries themselves, eventually begin to teach Missy the importance of learning to accept change gracefully, and how even when things do change, there are often wonderful elements that will also remain the same.

Nickerson's tale of a girl who struggles to adapt to a world shifting around her, is gentle and wholly relatable. Missy, like anyone who has struggled while approaching burgeoning adolescence, hasn't fully adapted to the idea of things becoming complicated in her expanding life; she still wants to hold onto the black-and-white simplicity of having a set family unit, and a certain group of friends.

So it's fairly unsurprising that as the summer progresses and things begin to change, Missy begins to act out. Nickerson does a great job of showing Missy's devastatation at realizing that many of the things that she once took for granted - e.g. her friends always sharing her same interests - might no longer be true, and her stalwart determination to fight back and/or hide against those changes.

But even as Missy indulges in typical rebellious behavior, Nickerson is careful to color her actions with empathy. Because of Nickerson's thoughtful characterizations, readers understand that when Missy does things like try and disrupt her father's impending wedding, it's out of childish loyalty to her mother. Similarly, we also understand her desire to one-up her brother during their work on the farm, and how at the end of the day, these are all the actions of a girl who just doesn't know how to cope.

But much like real life, it's outside events that show Missy the dangers of refusing to learn how to adapt. Nickerson's subplot involving a long-held rivalry on the blueberry farm between two brothers, does a nice job of showing the dangers of letting changes become a negative and long-term problem, and it's a rewarding moment when Missy and those around her, recognize this fact and vow to work together as they move forward.

***

Final verdict:

At a time when media outlets are praising the Pixar film Inside Out for helping to better explain and open a dialogue about children's emotions, I would say that The Secrets of Blueberries, Brothers, Moose & Me absolutely also accomplishes as much, in literary form.

Sara Nickerson has written a lovely, introspective look at how change begins to happen when you're on the cusp of young adulthood, and the various feelings - both good and bad - that may come along with those changes. Missy's journey is both a gentle reminder and a primer on that turbulent period in life, and a great read for readers of all ages.

Highly recommend for all ages, full stop. But especially recommend for parents who may be struggling to find books to connect with a child going through similar growing challenges - Missy is a relatable, likable heroine that help them realize that they're not alone.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book earlier today, but I had to wait a bit before writing about it. The voice of Missy (the main character), sounded amazingly similar to my own at that age and it brought back memories and feelings from those times in my life that needed to settle a little. Missy is at that age where everything is changing - her brother is worried about going to high school, her father is getting remarried, her best friends have decided they are too old now to do some of the things they have always done together - nothing is the same. As most tweens and teens do, Missy fluctuates between anger, bewilderment, and laughter as she tries to come to terms with her life.

By the end of the story, Missy comes to the end of a long roller coaster of emotional upheaval and has a very mature thought as she watches her mother and father. "...do you turn those things off - close them like a book you once loved but couldn't possibly read again? And if so, are our lives made up of books like that? Entire collections of moments that make us who we are, but are impossible to keep open all at once?" As a librarian and book lover, I love the imagery and find it very true.

I don't want to give you the idea that this is a maudlin book, because it has plenty of bright moments, too. One of my favorite scenes is when Missy goes to her friend's house to help her pack for summer camp. Constance and Allie are going to camp, but Missy always helps on Packing Day. This year, Allie has decided she wants to be called Allison and both girls are worried about packing their bras (now that they wear them). Missy proclaims in a robot voice, "I-See-That-You-Two-AreVery-Grown-Up-Now-That-You-Go-to-Sleepaway-Campand-Also-Wear-Bras...Perhaps-We-Should-Also-Discuss-Marriage-And-Careers." Although sometimes the humor is the kind that is laughing to keep from crying, Missy is very funny.

For readers going through those transitional times in their own lives, whether it is going from tween to teen, from elementary school to middle school, or some other big adjustment, this story will resonate with you. Perfect for those who enjoy realistic fiction, coming-of-age stories, writers like Cynthia Rylant or Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

[Jannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ive only read one book by this author before and it was one of my favourite books that I wanted to pass to my children. This had that lovely same voice and was very very good. I think I expected it to be longer. The story took me straight there inside those blueberry fields and the feelings of Missy felt raw and real. I'm the oldest of my siblings so I can imagine Ive definitely done a bit of heart breaking in the past with my brothers.
This is perfect for that pre teen struggling to get to grips with all the changes in their life.

[Ravi Bedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and how it is like the really world, where the older sibling tends to ignore the younger sibling thinking that they do not know much or thinking that everything they say is just from their imagination.

[Eloise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps my own memories of picking green beans in my youth contributed to my enjoyment of this book in which Missy and Patrick respond to an ad to pick blueberries for the summer. A hedge separates the field, with two brothers each owning roughly half. Picking berries allows Missy to forget that her two best friends are together at summer camp and that her father is getting remarried. Her relationship with her brother becomes strained as he makes new friends and, in her view, betrays her. In the process, she discovers secrets about the two brothers and their "blood feud."

[Kathryn Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book and read it because I like to preview books that my 10-year old daughter might want to read. I thought it was a great story that captured the struggle of a pre-teen girl and the struggle of coming to an age where you are still a child but also growing up and losing some innocence. There is also a thought provoking storyline anbout what is right and wrong and how the line can sometimes be fuzzy. Highly recommend, especially for pre-teen girls.

[sophia ! · Rating 3 out of 5]

~ dnf ~

HATED the main character so you know that’s a bad sign 🤭

[ashish agrawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blueberries

This was a fascinating book that caught my attention the first time I had read it. It was full of mystery and surprise.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Missy's not looking forward to the summer. Her best friends are growing up faster than she, and are going off to a camp she can't afford. Plus her brother Patrick seems to be growing away from her as well, and her parents not only show no signs of getting back together, but her father and his girlfriend are getting married. Missy sees some chance of escape and earning some money in working at a local blueberry farm, and she and Patrick both sign up with their mother's reluctant approval. Missy finds it hard work, but unexpectedly falls in love with the sense of being close to the earth and the source of actual food. Patrick is just interested in Shauna, who works in a bikini top and distracts him from earning much money. There's also the mystery of the Hedge that separates the farm at which they're working, Moose's farm, from his brother Lyle's farm. Many years ago there was a "blood feud" and the brothers no longer speak, which makes for an odd situation. As Missy feels Patrick pulling further away, and her father's girlfriend getting too close, Missy herself pulls away and learns a big secret at the blueberry farm. Can she keep it to herself?

I wasn't sure what I felt about this book. I think the character is very believable, but she's not always very nice--she blackmails Patrick and plans to destroy her father's wedding. I mean, I wasn't good at accepting change at that age either, but I wasn't nasty about it (but then, my parents are still married, what do I know?). The first part of the book, particularly when they got to the farm, had an odd, almost horror-novel feel about it that threw me off, and I wasn't sure what purpose that served. The secret was interesting, but no more than that--not worth the hype or the fallout. Still, some good life lessons learned about not seeing things in black and white and growing up. Just maybe not the book for me?

[Emilee · Rating 5 out of 5]

To make some extra money, twelve-year-old Missy and her older brother Patrick get summer jobs picking blueberries at a local farm. Missy and Patrick are children of divorced parents and spend time at both parent's houses. Dad is engaged to be married and Missy is not a fan of this idea and wants to sabotage the wedding with a dress with skulls. Missy earns the respect of the owners of the farm and is allowed to a special area to pick very unique and priceless blueberries. Her brother has found a love interest and he is suspicious of Missy and her whereabouts during the day. They discover that a family feud caused by the owner of the farm and his brother have caused some serious problems over the years. The kids all spend time trying to put the pieces together of the feud when it happened and why. Nickerson does an excellent job in this realistic fiction story of portraying the coming of age story and its complicated emotions and scenarios that go along with it. I honestly couldn't wait to get back to this book as I read it. The characters are very relatable and the descriptions of them and their stories are captivating. Being a child of divorce I felt the author did an amazing job portraying this circumstance. I enjoyed learning more about blueberries and how they are harvested reading this book. It's just a charming story overall. I truly enjoyed it.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Missy and her brother Patrick both get a summer job picking blueberries at a farm in their town - Patrick to earn money and Missy to keep herself distracted from her friends being gone for the summer and to also spend time with her brother. Because of a feud between the farming brothers, there are specific rules that need to be followed. Fairly quickly, Patrick starts to hang out with a girl and the rest of the kids while Missy continues to follow the rules of the farm. She gets recognized for her hard work and starts to work in a different area of the farm. Blueberry picking seems to be the only part of Missy's life that is going well - her father will be getting married later in the summer, and her brother is continuing to distance himself from her, among other things.

A nice coming of age story will Missy learns a lot about herself, her family, and growing up. I kept thinking this book was set in the past, but there was mention of cell phones, so I would assume it was set more recently than it lets on. Overall, a cute book.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Missy's world expands when she and her fourteen-year-old brother, Patrick, get a summer job picking blueberries at a local farm. Missy has a lot to contemplate as she fills her buckets with berries...her two best friends have left for summer camp and her dad is getting remarried, ending Missy's dream that her parents would get back together and they would all be a family again. Missy is also intrigued by the two brothers who own the blueberry farm and the mysterious hedge going down the middle of the field, dividing the property in half. Although Missy loves working on the farm, she wishes the other aspects of her life would stop changing so much, including Patrick's growing fondness for Shauna, one of the other berry pickers.

[Natalie Jada · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a lot about change and finding who you really are. Missy, the main character does not like change one bit, her best friends are growing up faster than she is and are going off to a camp she can't afford. Plus her brother Patrick seems to be growing away from her as well, and her parents not only show no signs of getting back together, but her father and his girlfriend are getting married. Missy sees some chance of escape and earning some money in working at a local blueberry farm, and she and Patrick both sign up with their mother's reluctant approval. This book had a lot of mysterious twists and turns and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mystery and realistic fiction.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This YA novel was about truth and change, and how each is different (and difficult) for everyone. I kept forgetting that Missy was 12 and on the cusp of being a child and a teen, so her unwillingness to deal with all the changes happening around her annoyed me. Ah, to be that young again, and determined to have things stay the same... I liked this book well enough, but it's not likely something I'll read again.

[Coco Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A good book, quick middle grade read about blueberries and the complexities of friendship, siblings and divorced parents. The story clipped along at a good pace. I didn’t feel particularly satisfied at the end, and didn’t feel much depth in general, but considering it’s a juvenile fiction, it did a good job bringing up issues that a lot of kids have in middle school, during that transition period.

[Maywoodbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story- a different perspective of being the pre-teen of divorced parents. This book addresses the desire we have for things to remain the same. I liked that because I think almost every one has a fear of change at one time or another and it is the first juvenile fiction novel I've read to address that head-on.

[Cheyenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very interesting to read. At first you have no idea what is happening. But then you get into it more and it turns out to be fun. The characters are very well portrayed in this book. Some of the characters are boring while others are fun to learn more and more about.

[Jan Temple · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book ever!

I chose this rating because this truly is the best book I have ever read. It is so deeply relatable and sweet in every way. I hate that this book had to even end because if I could I would read it for the rest of my life!

[Carlie Cunha-Dassow · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter and I both loved this book. Great summer read. Reminded me of being a kid and making all those connections you hadn't made before, seeing things you couldn't previously. Awesome. Will definitely read again.

[Jamie Cruz · Rating 3 out of 5]

THERE WAS NOTHING SUPER PARTICULAR ABOUT THIS BOOK THAT KEPT MY ATTENTION, IT JUST DID. IT WAS SLIGHTLY BORING, BUT HAD EXCITING PARTS ENOUGH THAT I WANTED TO FINISH IT! THE MFC IS SUPER QUIRKY AND I LOVED HER. DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE QUICK READS THAT YOU READ JUST BECAUSE!

[Xavy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the fluffy, lighthearted kind of story I prefer. But I do love summer and blueberries. ☀️ 🫐
Also, I don’t think I like books that have ANYTHING to do with divorce. With that in a storyline, it’s too serious and too much drama for me. Kinda depressing.

[⚜️Krithika⚜️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down!!!!!!! for ages 11-14. Great writing and heartfelt tale about growing up and summer jobs.

[Bibliomama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missy/Melissa resonated with me. A wonderful, authentic character.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this as a GoodREads first read. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I found interesting and a fun read

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was successfully invested and riled up by the plot, but then it wrapped up before I had a chance to calm down, leaving me a bit angry at her whole family?

[Harriet Latta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really drawn into the story, like when I read How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found with my 6th graders years ago.

[Amelia G · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Gracie Sadler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely for kids 11 and older. Very good

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refreshing YA story about a 12 yr old girl learning from her first job as she struggles with her parent's divorce, father's remarriage and changing relationships

[Amy Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. The ending seemed a bit rushed and I wanted her to learn a bit more about life than what was mentioned.