Copyright Date:
2011
Edition Date:
2011
Release Date:
05/09/11
Pages:
298 pages
ISBN:
Publisher: 1-400-31722-3 Perma-Bound: 0-605-60347-2
ISBN 13:
Publisher: 978-1-400-31722-6 Perma-Bound: 978-0-605-60347-9
Dewey:
Fic
LCCN:
2011005583
Dimensions:
22 cm.
Language:
English
Reviews:
School Library Journal
(Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2011)
Gr 4-6 In this story set on a farm in the Ozarks during the 1980s, third-grader April Grace is an observer of human nature. She watches the various people in her daily life, such as her soap-opera-obsessed sister who's more interested in make-up and clothes than in doing her chores. April's patient, nonjudgmental parents don't always do what she thinks they should. For example, when her widowed grandmother starts dating a shifty ex-rancher from Texas, they aren't even suspicious, telling April not to think negatively. Just because they try to be Christian and pattern their lives along the lines of St. Francis Assisi's Prayer for Peace doesn't mean they should close their eyes when her grandmother is in danger of marrying a con artist. Well-developed characters and humorous writing will engage readers wanting to know how it will all turn out. Serious subjects, such as an eating disorder, are handled sensitively, and the religious aspects of the story are subtle. This is a book to hand to readers who enjoyed Jennifer L. Holm's Turtle in Paradise (Random, 2010) and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Faith, Hope, and Ivy June (Delacorte, 2009). Tina Martin, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, IL
Word Count:
67,802
Reading Level:
4.9
Interest Level:
4-7
Accelerated Reader:
reading level: 4.9
/ points: 10.0
/ quiz: 144228
/ grade: Middle Grades
Reading Counts!:
reading level:5.3 /
points:17.0 /
quiz:Q60788
Lexile:
800L
If God wanted April Grace to be kind to her neighbors, He should have made them nicer! Growing up in the country is never easy, but it sure is funny--especially if you happen to have a sister obsessed with being glamorous, a grandma just discovering make-up, hippie friends who never shower, and brand new neighbors from the city who test everyone's patience. From disastrous dye jobs to forced apologies and elderly date tagalongs, you'll laugh 'til you cry as you read the Confessions of April Grace ! Here are just a couple of April's thoughts: On her sister, Myra Sue: "How anyone can be that dumb and still be able to eat with a fork is beyond me." On senior citizen lovebirds: "What if they started smooching right at the table in front of God and everybody?" In spite of all the loony characters in her life, April Grace is able to learn from her parents as they share the love of God--to even the craziest of characters!