Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess - Hardcover

Green, Shari

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1772780332 ISBN 13: 9781772780338

Publisher: Pajama Press, 2017

Synopsis

Winner of the 2018 ALA Schneider Family Book Award, Middle Grade Books category

Sixth grade is coming to an end, and so is life as Macy McMillan knows it. Already a "For Sale" sign mars the front lawn of her beloved house. Soon her mother will upend their perfect little family, adding a stepfather and six-year-old twin stepsisters. To add insult to injury, what is Macy's final sixth grade assignment? A genealogy project. Well, she'll put it off - just like those wedding centerpieces she's supposed to be making.

Just when Macy's mother ought to be understanding, she sends Macy next door to help eighty six-year-old Iris Gillan, who is also getting ready to move - in her case into an assisted living facility. Iris can't pack a single box on her own and, worse, she doesn't know sign language. How is Macy supposed to understand her? But Iris has stories to tell, and she isn't going to let Macy's deafness stop her. Soon, through notes and books and cookies, a friendship grows. And this friendship, odd and unexpected, may be just what Macy needs to face the changes in her life.

Shari Green, author of Root Beer Candy and Other Miracles, writes this summer story with the lightest touch, spinning Macy out of her old story and into a new one full of warmth and promise for the future.

About this title

About the Author

Shari Green spent a large portion of her childhood summers reading stacks of library books, and she's still in love with stories today. Her novels for middle-grade readers include Root Beer Candy and Other Miracles, Missing Mike, and the multi-award-winning Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess. Shari lives in Campbell River, British Columbia.

Reviews

Gr 4–6—Eleven-year-old Macy McMillan, who is deaf, is struggling with a few challenges: accepting her mother's new marriage, moving to a new house, adjusting to a stepfather and six-year-old twin stepsisters, and completing a genealogy project. When Macy's mother arranges for her to help elderly neighbor Iris pack up her belongings before moving to an assisted living facility, Macy is annoyed, then intrigued. While Macy sorts and packs boxes of books, Iris writes notes to answer Macy's questions (Iris doesn't know sign language) and bakes cookies to lift Macy's spirits. Discovering interesting facts about Iris (for instance, her name translates to "Goddess of the Rainbow") and her life story helps Macy realize that everyone makes mistakes, misjudges others, gets angry, feels alone at times, and ultimately changes "in ways you never imagined." The genealogy project she dreads ultimately evolves into the story of the people who have impacted Macy's life. The novel-in-verse structure is clever, engaging, and accessible. Macy's deafness is skillfully woven into the story, adding depth and complexity to her characterization and relationships with others. Her first-person narrative appears in regular type, sign language is spaced in bold type, and written communication is in italics. With candor and angst, Macy shares her sorrow over an argument with her best friend, her desire to stop her mother from getting married, her determination not to like her stepfather, and her affection for aging Iris. VERDICT Macy's coming-of-age anxieties, observations, and insights will resonate with middle grade readers. A strong purchase for public and school libraries.—Gerry Larson, formerly at Durham School of the Arts, NC

Edition details

• Publisher: Pajama Press
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1772780332
• ISBN 13: 9781772780338
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240