Eleven-year-old Jubilee Johnson is used to moving all the time. Her mother is a country singer who's always on tour, so Jubilee lives with her grandmother. Nan tends to drop everything and move whenever the slightest thing bothers her.
But Jubilee's heart's desire is to settle in one place for longer than a few months, a place where she could have friends and join activities, a place to call home. So Jubilee plans the next move, convincing Nan they should try Hope Springs, Texas, the hometown of Jubilee's TV crafting hero, Arletta Paisley. Once they arrive, Jubilee makes a few friends right away, and even finds a part-time job at the Fabric Barn. But her new friends aren't happy with Arletta Paisley, who is bringing a SmartMart superstore to Hope Springs. They think it'll put all the small businesses out of business. Will Jubilee find a way to save the town and convince Nan to stay?
What a delightful read! Jubilee is a wonderful, extremely likable character, whose first person narration draws you in immediately. Then the colorful writing (Nan's almost-swears are priceless!), lively dialogue, and timely issues cast a spell over you. You won't be able to stop reading!
Bonus: The included craft "recipes"elevate the book to another level. From Caring Critter Cards to Lemon-Scented Jelly Jar Room Deodorizer to Healthy Dog Treats, and more, the crafts are clever and fun. Makes this book a wonderful interactive read.
Kids will love this!
Jaime is one of #the21ders!
#IMWAYR is a weekly blog hop hosted by Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts. Visit their blogs to see all the participants. You can also follow the hashtag on Twitter!
I definitely have this on my TBR, but now I'm curious as to how an 11-year-old gets a part time job. When I was 16, I was a student assistant at the local So-Fro fabrics, so I think Jubilee and I have some things in common.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen! I thought about that too, but it didn't bother me. And I believe she was paid in fabric!
DeleteIt does sound like a fun book. Thanks, Joanne
ReplyDeleteOooh, sounds like fun. I've got nephews in that age range.
ReplyDeleteThat's great, Liz! Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteThis sounds like a fun book. Thanks for sharing it this week.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lot of fun, Natalie.
DeleteThanks for the heads up about this one. I've added it to my list.
ReplyDeleteHi Cheriee! Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteThis sounds like a fabulous book! Some of my relatives used to live in small towns that are now falling apart and pretty much have nothing except a Walmart, so I definitely feel a bit of a connection to this book. Thanks for the great review!
ReplyDeleteI hear you about the Walmart in small towns, Completely. That's a shame if your relatives had to move because of it.
DeleteSounds like a great read and the cover is so inviting! I'll be looking for this one.
ReplyDeleteHi Greg! It's been a while. The21ders have so many wonderful books coming out this year. I'm honored to be in their company.
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