Hello! I'm Afoma.
  • Book Reviews
    • Picture book
    • Chapter Books
    • Middle-Grade
    • Graphic Novels
    • Young Adult
    • Adult Fiction
    • Adult Non-Fiction
  • Book Lists
    • Picture Book Lists
    • Middle Grade Book Lists
    • Book Lists by Theme
    • Book Lists by Grade
    • Audiobook Recommendations
  • Join My Newsletter!
  • Go to the Blog
  • Summer Reading

Reading Middle Grade

Books for Kids and Grown Ups

  • Book Reviews
    • Picture book
    • Chapter Books
    • Middle-Grade
    • Graphic Novels
    • Young Adult
    • Adult Fiction
    • Adult Non-Fiction
  • Book Lists
    • Picture Book Lists
    • Middle Grade Book Lists
    • Book Lists by Theme
    • Book Lists by Grade
    • Audiobook Recommendations
  • Join My Newsletter!
  • Go to the Blog
  • Summer Reading

Book Reviews, Middle-Grade · March 3, 2022

Review | Squad Goals (Hearts & Crafts #1)

Book Review - Squad Goals (Hearts & Crafts #1

Summary: Squad Goals (Hearts & Crafts #1)

Squad Goals (Hearts & Crafts #1) is the first in a new middle grade series about Mackenzie Miller, a new seventh-grader who calls herself a “maker.” Mackenzie loves projects especially when they involve crafting artsy things or planning things. After her parents’ divorce and her father’s remarriage, it’s just Kenzie and her mom and Kenzie wants her mom to find a boyfriend.

Last year, her BFFs also dumped her and Kenzie is convinced she can try to win them back this year while working hard to make new friends. In the spirit of making, she quickly finds herself embroiled in a fundraiser to help get some of the Band kids in her school (she’s also in Band) new instruments. But can Mackenzie balance it all?

The Good

This was a fun book! For a while, I just read it because I liked MacKenzie and enjoyed seeing all she had going on in her life, but there’s a poignant lesson near the end of the story and that made me like this one more. Mackenzie has a great relationship with both of her parents, even though they’re divorced. She’s also close to her grandfather whose wife has died. Her best friend is an animal lover with a pet reptile that plays a fun role in the story.

Mackenzie is a really interesting character. She loves her friends and supports them deeply, but she has trouble letting other people help her. I strongly identified with her in that way because I’ve been there. Doing the fundraiser, trying to parent her mother, and care for her friends all while being a tween with her own issues was a lot for her. I liked seeing her figure stuff out in the end.

I think this is one of those books that may not win the Newberry but will be LOVED and adored by tween readers. It reminds me of books like Pizza My Heart and Alpaca My Bags, both of which I enjoyed and will resonate hard with the tween crowd.

Overall: Squad Goals (Hearts & Crafts #1)

Squad Goals (Hearts & Crafts #1) is a relatable, enjoyable middle grade book about crafting, friendships, and letting others help you. With a cast of lovable characters, a protagonist with divorced parents, and a fundraiser at the center of its plot, this story will appeal to tween girls (and boys) dealing with similar issues to Mackenzie’s. I really enjoyed this one and can see the series quickly becoming a hit.


Buy This Book

Squad Goals (Hearts & Crafts #1)

More Book Reviews

  • Lupe Wong Won’t Dance by Donna Barba Higuera
  • Big Apple Diaries by Alyssa Bermudez
  • Violets Are Blue by Barbara Dee

Don't Forget to Share!

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pocket
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • LinkedIn

Related

Posted In: Book Reviews, Middle-Grade · Tagged: business savvy kids, divorced parents, friend break ups, perfectionism, single moms

Join My Newsletter

Like what you just read? Sign up for my Friday kidlit newsletter!

Privacy Policy

You’ll Also Love

Review | Consider the Octopus
Review | The Supervillain’s Guide to Being a Fat Kid
Review | Maizy Chen’s Last Chance

Comments

  1. Heather says

    March 3, 2022 at 8:18 am

    I enjoyed your description of this one. It made me want to read it. Sounds ideal for its intended audience. Thanks.

    Reply

What do you think? Leave a comment Cancel reply

Next Post >

Picture Books About Food, Baking, and Cooking

About Me
Hi, I'm Afoma! Thank you for stopping by. Learn more about me here.

Get 2 Months Free on Scribd


Follow on Bloglovin’

Follow

We’re Social Too!

  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Stock photos courtesy of our partners at DepositPhotos 📸
♟️ chess in MG lit ♟️ ✨a suspenseful middle grade book✨ ✨chapter books worth reading!✨ Welcoming a second baby? Here’s a delightful picture book with tips for big kids. Although there’s more text in this one than I’d like for a typical picture book, I love that the information is factual and can be very helpful for parents tackling these specific questions with their big kids ❤️ ❓What happened to Rachel Riley❓ As much as I love new releases, I like to make room in my reading plans for books released a couple (or more) years before. Here’s my current backlist stack for 2023.
  • Blog
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 Reading Middle Grade · Theme by 17th Avenue

 

Loading Comments...