Friday, June 24, 2011

Rachel Spinelli punched me in the face by Paul Acampora

Zachary isn’t happy about moving but he didn’t want to stay. The endless fighting is over and his mom is gone. It’s just Zachary and his dad and a new town. Zachary, uncertain and miserable, meets the aggressive Rachel, her brother Teddy, and starts to put together a new life for himself. There are a lot of issues and plot points mixed into this slim middle grade novel. Absent mother, mental disabilities, trumpet music, death, cleaning up a park, friendship, promises, crushes, and more.

Despite the very busy plot, Acampora’s writing brings all the elements together into a cohesive and believable story. The reader can sympathize with and understand the reasoning behind each of the character’s actions. 

Verdict: An interesting and fast-paced tween story that introduces ideas about maturity, relationships, and new beginnings in a funny and moving story. Recommended for readers who like realistic fiction.

ISBN: 9781596435483; Published August 2011 by Roaring Brook; ARC received from publisher at ALA Midwinter 2011; Purchased for the library

2 comments:

Ms. Yingling said...

Does look interesting. Added it to my list to hunt down when it comes out. Thanks!

Jennifer said...

When I took this galley to book club, the kids were REALLY excited about it - combination of the cover and the word "Spinelli"