Friday Fun Reads

Moo. I confess: I’m a city girl and wasn’t looking for a silly book about a cow. But If you want a lighthearted book that addresses how to handle irritable people (and cows), you will not be disappointed. This coming-of-age book entertains and thoughtfully delves into surviving change.

Twelve-year-old Reena and her little brother, Luke, are uprooted from city life when their parents move to a rural coastal town in Maine. Leaving life as they knew it isn’t easy, and to make matters worse, their mother volunteers them to help Mrs. Falala with her farm chores.  The prickly old lady is hard to get along with, but Zora—her ornery cow—is the bigger challenge.

Author Sharaon Creech stirs up surprises and chuckles throughout the narrative, while Reena and Luke find confidence and friendships in unusual circumstances. The plot twists at the end, so it isn’t a fairy-tale ending with “they all lived happily every after.” Instead, the book finishes with a realistic picture of going on in life, despite loss and change.

Moo is a perfect book for reluctant middle graders who don’t enjoy reading. Each page flows with light narration. Words are sprinkled on some pages in poetry form which makes it fast and easy to read. However, the content and story also engage older readers.  

The best thing about Moo? It’s an upbeat book that whispers an important message for everyone: Don’t despair. There are good things to come.

This was the first book I’ve read by Sharon Creech, but she’s written many others, including the Newberry Award, Walk Two Moons. Have you read others by her that you’d recommend?

Happy Reading!

Gretchen Carlson

gretchen-carlson.com