MMGM: Half-Moon Summer by Elaine Vickers (audiobook review)

Participating today in the fantastic Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays blog hop hosted by Greg Pattrige of Always in the Middle. Check out his blog for a list of additional middle grade reviews. I've been discovering some great reads there.

 

Title: Half Moon Summer

Author: 
Elaine Vickers. Read by Mark Sanderlin and Charley Flyte
Publication Info: 
Peachtree, 2023. Audiobook by Listening Library, 4 hours.
Source: Library



Publisher’s Blurb: 



Two seventh graders discover it takes more than grit and a good pair of shoes to run 13.1 miles. You’ve got to have a partner who refuses to let you quit.

Drew was never much of a runner. Until his dad’s unexpected diagnosis. Mia has nothing better to do. Until she realizes entering Half Moon Bay’s half-marathon could solve her family’s housing problems.

And just like that they decide to spend their entire summer training to run 13.1 miles. Drew and Mia have very different reasons for running, but these two twelve year olds have one crucial thing in common (besides sharing a birthday): Hope. For the future. For their families. And for each other.

My Review:
This fairly short middle-grade novel addresses some big issues, as so many do. Overall, I think it handled them well. As readers we know early on that something is seriously wrong with Drew's father, and it's bad (adults may be more in tune to this than younger readers). The author doesn't make that go away, and lets Drew discover it slowly and try to come to grips with it. Mia's problems are equally complicated, but we are allowed a little more miraculous solution for her.

In some ways, the best thing in the book is the natural friendship between the two kids, and the biggest miracle is that it survives not only the (temporary) return of Drew's best friend, but the kids' return to school.

I particularly enjoyed the book because of the setting--Half Moon Bay, CA, a town where I haven't spent a lot of time, but through which I have driven or biked many, many times. The town's a little romanticized, and I'm still trying to figure out just where the half marathon runs (in general, I think the author took some liberties with the geography, definitely her prerogative). I also empathized with the kids in the running of the half marathon--something I have done. I think she nailed it pretty well for first-time runners who are pretty well trained for it but are still stretching (this would describe my run as well, except that I was past 40 instead of 12).

The story is told in alternative chapters narrated by each of the kids, and they have distinctive voices and styles, and realistically stay focused on their own worries, even while gradually coming to care deeply about each other's problems. I appreciated that this allowed us to really understand both characters.

My Recommendation:
This is both an enjoyable read, though with some painful elements (see comments about no miraculous solutions for Drew, at least), and a good reminder that we are all stronger when we work together. Mia and Drew may not remain best friends as they go on with their lives, but they've learned a lesson about interdependence that looks like staying with them. Probably best suited for upper-elementary and middle school kids (say, 10-13).