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2021 Mock Newbery Winning Selections
By Kristen · 14 posts · 266 views
By Kristen · 14 posts · 266 views
last updated Feb 16, 2021 02:44PM
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What Members Thought
Ross Maloy just wants to be normal. Not stick out. But then he gets eye cancer and he has a scar on his forehead from surgery, and his eye can’t make tears so he needs gloopy eye drops, and radiation makes his skin all red and he has to wear a hat and his hair starts falling out. Luckily, he has a good best friend, and a good dad, and good health care, and he starts playing guitar.
And somehow it’s all unexpectedly funny. A wonderful read.
And somehow it’s all unexpectedly funny. A wonderful read.
Great middle school read about friendship and cancer. We listened to the audio book. I was interested to see how they would incorporate the comic portions of this book into the audio format. Well done!
Ross is a typical seventh grader - oh, wait, he is living with cancer, going through radiation treatments - not so typical, right? Much of Ross's story is typical though - a crush on the girl that sits in front of him, the bully that spits, gross - one friend that has absolutely ghosted him, and a best friend that is moving to another state! Add to that the medical team that is treating him, another grizzly guy undergoing treatment, and all the heightened emotions Ross is experiencing. Tightly w
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Loved it!! I felt like I was on a roller coaster for every emotion out there. Very fulfilling story about a middle school boy who has eye cancer. Along with looking strange he is trying to fit in, talk to the girl of his dreams and make friends and still feel good about himself and all that he is going through. I loved Batpig also. A story full of laughter, sadness, and frustration and hopefulness. I have never read anything by Rob Harrell (Lives in Indiana) but I definitely will read more.
I've been reading a lot of "sweet" and "cute" books recently and particularly enjoyed this book because it felt more substantial and real. Ross has been diagnosed with a rare eye cancer. His diagnosis causes a ripple effect with his friendships and leads him to meet some new people. This book reminds me a little bit about WONDER and how we treat others who are different than us. I really enjoyed it!
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Another great fictional book about a middle schooler overcoming a disability/disease (cancer in this case), all the while dealing with normal teenage angst and media savvy bullies. This is a well written story with just the right amount of humor and touching sweetness. This genre is getting crowded and I feel like this book might get lost in the crowd, but it's well worth the read. Recommended for grades 5-8.
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Jan 04, 2020
Jeane
marked it as to-read
Feb 10, 2020
Beth
marked it as middle-grade-to-read
Apr 04, 2020
Angie
marked it as to-read
May 20, 2020
Jenn
marked it as to-read
Sep 04, 2020
Sarah Abercrombie
added it
Oct 10, 2020
Samantha
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
friendship,
funny,
juv-fiction,
bullies,
indiana,
cancer,
moving,
blended-families,
talent-show,
cyberbullying
Jan 11, 2021
Catherine OBrien
marked it as to-read
Jan 30, 2021
Scot
added it
May 22, 2021
Sara Card
marked it as to-read
Dec 14, 2021
Nez
added it
