Lily, an eleven-year-old girl in a small Maine town, wants to enter a blueberry festival contest to win money for her best friend Lucky, a blind dog, and to prove she can do something on her own. She meets Salma, a daughter of migrant workers who come for the harvest, and the two girls become friends and a team. Their friendship is tested by differences in family, money and expectations, and by questions about what each wants from the contest and from the town. The story covers small-town summer life, blueberry farming and the work of migrant families.
It is a good match for middle-grade readers who like friendship stories with some social awareness. Parents and teachers can use it to start talk about class and fairness, and it reads warmly and quickly.
Practical and clear-cut; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2015
- Language
- EN
