Tag: selective mutism

REVIEW: The Lost Things Club by J. S. Puller

REVIEW: The Lost Things Club by J. S. Puller

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free print review copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Every summer, Leah travels an hour south to Chicago to stay with her aunt and uncle for three weeks while her mother travels for work. It’s usually a fun trip filled with sights to see for Leah and her younger cousin, TJ. But this summer is going to be different. Leah’s mom has already warned her that TJ is different this year. Ever since the school shooting, TJ has stopped talking.

Leah is stunned by the difference in TJ since she last saw him just a few months ago. But they’ve always been close. She’s convinced she can get through to him, help him when no one else has been able to.

But the surprise of the change in TJ is nothing compared to Leah’s discovery that 8-year-old TJ is sneaking out of the house at night and walking to a laundromat. He’s even talking to a stranger,  a man he sees every night when he sneaks out on his nightly jaunt.

Leah has to wonder what is so special, so important, for TJ to sneak out. And why he seems like his old self there with strangers rather than at home with his family.

Review

This second novel by the author of the incredible Captain Superlative is a lovely story about family and friendship, trauma and triumph. I adored Leah. While she looks for answers to TJ’s silence at home and his engagement at an area laundromat – the eventual home of the Lost Things Club – she’s also trying to find her niche, her identity, what makes her special. I liked how this broadened her story. TJ is still the focus, but this is another layer to the story that most readers will be able to connect to.

I was impressed by how the story dealt with a really serious topic – a school shooting and TJ’s story of what happened that day – in a kid-appropriate way. Every piece – from TJ’s parents’ desperation to Leah’s thoughtful observations and questions to TJ’s need for the Land of Lost Things to be real – felt true and honest while at the same time never feeling like “too much.” Especially for readers who will be in 3rd or 4th grade (or higher).

I imagine some sensitive readers might struggle with the seriousness of the story, but I think that most kids will feel like Leah – an outside observer who loves TJ and wants to understand him. And I think those readers will be caught up in the eventual solution. Don’t miss this one! (TW: grief and loss, references to a school shooting, but no description of the event itself. Mostly focuses on the impact of the event.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Wish Upon a Sleepover by Suzanne Selfors

REVIEW: Wish Upon a Sleepover by Suzanne Selfors

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the author in a social media contest. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Leilani longs to be one of the Haileys. They are a clique of six girls named Hailey (all spelled differently). They always have themed sleepovers and fun conversations. And Leilani wants desperately to be a part of it all.

It’s not that Leilani doesn’t have friends. She has Autumn, her best friend since kindergarten. But every other week Autumn goes to her dad’s. Then Leilani is stuck at home with her mom and great-grandmother, Tutu.

Leilani is convinced that if the Haileys just knew how fun she was, they would welcome her in. And the best way to show them is to have her own awesome sleepover – with a Hawaiian theme – and invite them. On her “Do NOT Invite” list is her second cousin, Todd, who always has gas. Also on the list is her new neighbor, William, who never speaks when Leilani talks to him. And finally on the list is “Manga Girl,” a girl at school who is always drawing comics, including a mean one of Leilani.

But Leilani’s invitations go to her Do NOT Invite list instead of to the Haileys. It’s Leilani’s worst nightmare. But maybe there’s a way Leilani can redeem her plans and get in with the Haileys after all.

Review

This was delightful! I loved the rich characters in this book. I expected a typical friendship story, but this went deeper than I expected. There’s a lot of anxiety issues addressed in the story – from shyness to stage fright, to selective mutism. I loved the extra layers this added to the story.

To be honest, Leilani is probably the character I liked the least. Her obsession with the Haileys started to grate on my nerves. But the insightful kids at her sleepover called her out. It was great. And Leilani learns a lot from the sleepover experience.

The book uses the story of Stone Soup with a nice Hawaiian twist. It was a great method of introducing depth to the characters as they went around town to get their ingredients.

This book can be handed to kids who love a good friendship story as well as kids who enjoy digging into books and characters who are dealing with mental health issues like anxiety. While the mental health aspects aren’t the central focus of the book, it’s a great thread. If readers are interested in learning more about selective mutism, they might try After Zero which addresses that as a central part of the story.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: After Zero by Christina Collins

REVIEW: After Zero by Christina Collins

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Elise is the “quiet” one. It’s almost become a game for her. How can she get through the school day with as few words as possible? Unfortunately her teachers love things like group discussions and oral presentations. But a bathroom pass can do wonders to help her avoid those projects, at least for awhile.

Elise was homeschooled for elementary school. And she missed out on things other kids seemed to take for granted like birthday parties and negotiating social relationships. Now Elise is in a public middle school. She skipped ahead to 8th grade while her one neighborhood friend is in 7th. But Elise struggles even to talk to her.

At the beginning of the year Elise talked some. But a few false starts left her feeling exposed and awkward. It felt safer to just keep to herself.

But when Elise discovers a secret her mom has been keeping, things start to spiral out of control for Elise. And if she won’t – or can’t – speak up, how can she ever find out the truth or find help?

Review

For most of the book, I struggled to figure out where things were going. I cared about Elise and felt desperate for her to speak – to get help or stick up for herself. There were some out-of-the-ordinary moments that left me wondering if the book was somehow in the fantasy genre and I missed it in the description. If I hadn’t agreed to review this, I might not have pushed through to the end. And that would have been a shame.

This is the sort of book that you can’t evaluate except from the end. You have to press through all of your questions and frustration for Elise. Because in the end, everything ties together and becomes clear.

I learned a lot in this story about Elise’s situation. I don’t want to give anything away by saying more. I will say this will fit with the collection of middle grade books exploring mental health, but it brings an entirely new piece into the discussion. I don’t know of another book that looks at kids like Elise. And the author told the story in such a way that the reader was desperate for Elise to get her answers even if the reader doesn’t know how they are going to come about.

This would be great for upper elementary and middle school readers, especially for fans of books like Finding Perfect, Still a Work in Progress, Family Game Night and Other Catastrophes, and The Seventh Wish.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥