Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by kunger129
Nature Girl by Jane Kelley
4.0
When I heard Jane Kelley describe Nature Girl at my library's Local Author Fair, I knew I had to read it. I hiked part of the Appalachian Trail with camp when I was in high school. In Nature Girl, Megan is dragged to Vermont with her family and forced to participate in mandatory art time each day. She's not at all artistic, unlike her parents and sister. Megan just wants to watch TV, and most of all, she wants to talk to her best friend on the phone. Neither activity is allowed by her parents. They want her to spend time outside, which is why they force her to accompany her sister and her boyfriend on a hike. When Megan gets lost in the woods and overhears a couple talking about hiking from Mount Greylock, Massachusetts, where her best friend is staying, Megan decides that if they can do it, why can't she. Thus begins her grand adventure.
This book was very well done. Megan was pretty obnoxious in the beginning, but I knew she was hurting. Her best friend was supposed to spend the summer with her in Vermont, but she had to cancel because her mother got cancer. Megan didn't understand, but I did. Also, I knew she was ripe from some serious character development, so I decided to give her a chance. I think kids would identify with Megan right away. She's from the city, and she has little experience with nature. Yet, she and her dog embrace the woods (over time). They even take on a bear!
Megan spends a lot of time alone during this book, but because she has her little dog, Arp, with her, she is able to talk aloud to him without it being weird. We get some dialog (albeit one way) in addition to the thoughts inside Megan's head. She also encounters some other characters along the way that add to the story. My favorite was Trail Blaze Betty whose brownies and sage advice keep Megan going when things are rough.
I enjoyed reading the story of Megan's growth while also reminiscing about my own time on the trail. Jane's writing was compelling and fun. She was able to get inside the mind of an 11 year-old girl in a way that works for adults as well as kids. I look forward to reading more of her writing.
http://www.momsradius.com/2017/05/book-review-nature-girl-mg-interview.html
This book was very well done. Megan was pretty obnoxious in the beginning, but I knew she was hurting. Her best friend was supposed to spend the summer with her in Vermont, but she had to cancel because her mother got cancer. Megan didn't understand, but I did. Also, I knew she was ripe from some serious character development, so I decided to give her a chance. I think kids would identify with Megan right away. She's from the city, and she has little experience with nature. Yet, she and her dog embrace the woods (over time). They even take on a bear!
Megan spends a lot of time alone during this book, but because she has her little dog, Arp, with her, she is able to talk aloud to him without it being weird. We get some dialog (albeit one way) in addition to the thoughts inside Megan's head. She also encounters some other characters along the way that add to the story. My favorite was Trail Blaze Betty whose brownies and sage advice keep Megan going when things are rough.
I enjoyed reading the story of Megan's growth while also reminiscing about my own time on the trail. Jane's writing was compelling and fun. She was able to get inside the mind of an 11 year-old girl in a way that works for adults as well as kids. I look forward to reading more of her writing.
http://www.momsradius.com/2017/05/book-review-nature-girl-mg-interview.html