Milo And The Restart Button

by Alan Silberberg

Milo is nearly 13, has just moved house and started a new school (both
for the umpteenth time) - him and his dad and sister are trying to
adjust to life without Milo's mum, who has died, but they aren't coping
very well and no-one is really talking about it. It's not all doom and
gloom though, I promise. It's a tough subject, but dealt with a light
touch and plenty of sparky humour - it's actually really, really funny,
and interspersed throughout with cartoon illustrations that provide
easier access to the tough issues and engage readers in a different way.
The book is never heavy or preachy - sensitive and sad, yes, but
ultimately a hugely entertaining read.

275 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2012

Reviews

[Jenny / Wondrous Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5.

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, poignant story about a young boy coping with bereavement. The author sensitively handles Milo's grief with a light touch, so that the book has plenty of fun moments. Five stars!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is actually a very good story with lots of details in it.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Milo everything feels new: new neighborhood, new house, new school, new life. As he struggles to fit in and find friends, he also struggles with mourning his recently departed mother. His family is mostly shut down about everything so when Milo decides to begins a quest to "bring her back to life" he is pleasantly surprised that it allows his family to grieve together and find a "new normal" together.

I LOVE the writing here. It's honest, it's funny, it's perfectly aimed at the intended audience. Cartoon drawings are included to highlight the text and the way Milo uniquely processes things, and the overall effect is goodness from cover to cover.

Highly recommended for grades 5-8.

[Plum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this - the topics are hard hitting but the approach is gentle and I think it is a good read for the age group it is aimed at. I showed one of the cartoon strip style illustrations to a friend and we both agreed that it was devastating in a good way.

[James Anstee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book once a year from 2013-2020. This book changed me fr. I think the main reason I picked at at age 11 is because I looked like the main character. I did not know what I was getting myself into.

[Paula B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it for the O.W.L.S Magical Readathon because it began with M. Not absolutely sure what age it’s geared towards, young I know, but not sure how young.

[alsace wu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a boy called Milo who is having a lot of trouble at school, Home and socially. I like this book because it also relates to me and our year level having trouble at school , home and socially. This book is really funny and there are a lot of weird parts in this book that I think many people would like. When Milo meets a girl he finds her really but then she tells him something that he has to swear he can't tell anyone else and it makes him think differently about her.

I recommend this book to 10+ boys and girls.

[Ella]

I thought this was a sequel to Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze, but it turns out it's just another edition with a different cover and name.

[Zildjian]

cool