"There weren't many perfect-weather days in Fawn Creek.
The summers were brutally hot and humid, and they lasted forever. When the cold months came - and there weren't many - it was just enough to nip the air and send you indoors.
Before Orchid showed up, the air was heavy and stifling. But the week after she appeared, it changed."
So did many other things for the truly remarkable cast of characters Ms. Kelly has created for her new book! They are authentic, commanding, and incredibly themselves. Each of the twelve seventh graders have been together at school in Fawn Creek Louisiana since kindergarten. When Orchid Mason arrives, she creates quite the distraction from what school has been like for the rest.
Change rarely happens there, so her arrival causes quite a stir. Orchid, with her stories of life in Paris and New York, becomes fast friends with outsiders Greyson and Dorothy. Greyson's home life is hampered by the attitudes of his father and brother when he doesn't meet their expectations of who he should be, and how he should act. Dorothy is introverted and wanting to make a real connection with her aloof and seemingly indifferent parents. Orchid gives them hope that the world beyond Fawn Creek will one day welcome them, too.
Middle school is a complex place to be. While she is friendly to everyone, it isn't long until Orchid becomes the object of some jealousy. Janie, the resident leader in all things social, decides she doesn't like Orchid much and plots with a former student to teach her a lesson. Acceptance, bullies, and dealing with life as it happens in middle school also results in growth, kindness and community.
Secondary characters, including Mr. Agosto their teacher and Greyson's mom, have much to add to the course of the story. It is a strong and varied cast. Their problems are real; their family lives complicated; their voices authentic; and their support for each other when that support is needed is apparent.
Powerful and thought-provoking, this is an absolutely perfect read for middle grade classrooms.
Of her novel, Erin Entrada Kelly has this to say about the readers she hopes to impact: "My ideal reader doesn't feel seen at home or school. My ideal reader has a rich interior life and isn't sure how to walk around in the world. My ideal reader feels lonely sometimes, even if they don't know why. My ideal reader is a kind-hearted dreamer who asks questions of the world around them, even if they never speak them out loud. Basically, my ideal reader is little Erin."
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