Of course, nothing goes the way she has planned. The new best friend she thinks she's found doesn't like her, her enthusiasm at camp is misunderstood and everyone thinks she's snobby, and her little brother, who she was all ready to help get over his many fears and issues, is settling in much more easily than she does! As she tries to earn money, makes mistakes, and slowly settles in herself, she finds that there are positive and negative aspects of her new life, just like her old life, and that as long as she keeps trying she'll eventually succeed.
Line drawings by LeUyen Pham show an exuberant girl who goes headlong at life and sometimes trips along the way. She's white with lots of freckles; their old friends from the city, the Fairs, are black. The girl she hopes to make her new best friend is black. Fair warning - the dog dies at the end. It's not traumatic and clearly expected throughout the book, as the dog is an ancient, wheezy pug who clearly is coming to the end of his lifespan.
At just 200 pages, this is a welcome addition to chapter books for younger middle grade readers, specifically 3rd and 4th graders. Becket is a relatable character, even if her readers haven't moved from the city to the country. She's putting her best face on a difficult change and she makes mistakes, missteps, and bad choices like every other kid. Her family is always there to back her up and help her out, but they give her a chance to assert her independence and make mistakes as well.
Verdict: This is a great choice for readers who are facing big changes in their lives or who are ready to move on to more independence and need reassurance that, although mistakes can happen, things will work out in the end. The death of the dog at the end of the story is a quiet ending, surrounded by family, and leaves the way open for more stories about Blackberry Farm.
ISBN: 9781616207908; Published April 2019 by Algonquin; Borrowed from another library in my consortium
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