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 1, 2022

Review | Those Kids from Fawn Creek

Book Review - Those Kids from Fawn Creek

Summary: Those Kids from Fawn Creek

Those Kids from Fawn’s Creek is Erin Entrada-Kelly’s latest middle grade offering about the 12 seventh-graders in Fawn Creek’s middle school. These kids have grown up together in their small factory town and know each other in and out. They’ve formed semi-permanent cliques and it’s tough for them to break out from the general expectations of their peers.

The story is told by multiple narrators, including the new girl Orchid Mason (who says she’s from New York and has grown up in cities around the world), shy girl Dorothy and her best friend (and the only person she talks to) Greyson. Cousins Janie and Abby have recently become a duo since their “Queen Bee” Rennie Dean moved away to a nearby town but still tries to keep tabs on them and control their actions. When Rennie and her crew find out about Orchid’s seemingly exotic background, they’re at once jealous and convinced that she’s lying. But is she?

The Good

This story is so beautifully written and very character-driven. From page one, I had no idea where it was taking me, but I felt like I learned more about each character with every new page and chapter. These kids are all dealing with various challenges.

Greyson likes fashion and gets bullied because his ideas aren’t quite conservative enough for his small town. Dorothy has older parents who seem to be playing the role of parents without actually caring about their child’s needs. And Orchid is super mysterious — no one knows where she lives, she wears flowy dresses and flowers in her hair, but also she’s super kind and accommodating, especially in the mean middle school landscape.

Renni is mean beyond words and crushing on a guy who is newly crushing on Orchid so her jealousy is raging. And Abby hates Rennie but can’t imagine not being her friend. It’s max drama but also super small-towny where everyone knows everyone. The entire book is an experience and I can’t say much else about the plot without ruining it for you.

Overall: Those Kids from Fawn Creek

Those Kids from Fawn Creek is a gorgeously written, character-driven, slice-of-life middle grade book about bullying and the power of kindness. Set in a small town and told from multiple points of view, this book is impressively immersive and engaging. Once you start to these Fawn Creek kids, you’ll never want to leave — and when you do leave, they’ll stay with you forever. I’d definitely recommend this one for older middle grade readers ages 10 and up.


Buy This Book

Those Kids from Fawn Creek

More Book Reviews

  • The Queen Bee and Me by Gillian McDunn
  • The Prettiest by Brigit Young
  • We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly

Don't Forget to Share!

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

Related

Posted In: Book Reviews, Middle-Grade

Join My Newsletter

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

Privacy Policy

You’ll Also Love

Review | Concealed
Review | Don’t Hate the Player
Review | A Thousand Questions

Comments

  1. Heather says

    March 1, 2022 at 8:52 am

    Sounds like the ideal premise for the target audience. Who doesn’t remember the mostly-complicated relationships of middle school. Aargh!

    Reply

What do you think? Leave a comment Cancel reply

Next Post >

Middle Grade Books About Periods and Puberty

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...