Bookverdict.com

Gr 5-8 In a deceptively quaint coming-of-age story set in the woods of Canada, Nancy's naive, tattletale opinions about neighbors, love, and sex falter when she discovers that family conflicts and romantic love are more complicated than they appear on the surface. The rustic simplicity of life-fishing in the Gatineau River, bouncing on a barbed wire fence, eating crisps in the back of an abandoned car-belie the emotional turmoil of the people around her. Amy and Clare Linklater, Nancy's best friends, join her berry picking, visiting amiable Mr. Chevrol...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Mum may not be perfect—she's singularly unsympathetic when the cat pees in Andrew's boots before school on a rainy morning—but she and Dad are fundamentally kind and reliable. Nor are Nancy and Andrew perfect—some of their escapades are dangerous, and they squabble, but still they are best friends, a brother and sister who count on each other for companionship and support. In contrast to this agreeably idiosyncratic bunch is the Wilkins family. Sandra Wilkins's prissy mother is obsessed with perfection, whether in clothing, manners, or socia...Log In or Sign Up to Read More