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Book Reviews, Middle-Grade · April 21, 2021

Review | Ways to Grow Love

Ways to Grow Love - Book Review

Summary: Ways to Grow Love

Ways to Grow Love is the second book in the Ryan Hart series. I loved the first book in the series and this book picks up soon after! It’s summer and Ryan’s mom is now heavily pregnant. It seems to Ryan that her unborn baby sister only stops her mom from doing all the fun stuff they used to do together. No more market for Ryan because her mom has to be on bed rest. Her mom can’t even come to the library with her to pick up books for the summer reading challenge and her grandma just rushes her and won’t let her pick as many books as she wants.

In addition to Ryan’s changing relationship with her mom, she’s also dealing with some friend drama. Things get especially stressful when she and her friends head over to church camp and Amanda mentions that Red, who made fun of Ryan in book one will be there. Can Ryan juggle all the changes in her life?

The Good

I love Ryan. Her heart is so big and she’s such a well-written character that any elementary school kid would enjoy. The book opens with lots of summer fun and sibling antics between Ryan and her brother Ray. There’s also a fair amount of trepidation alternating with excitement at the prospect of a new sibling and Watson writes this mix of feelings very well. As usual, Ryan continues to experiment with food as much as her grandma will let her.

Another chunk of the book is devoted to Ryan’s time at church camp with her friends and Red. The girls get up to some mischief at camp and Ryan has to learn to balance standing up for herself and being kind to others. The final third of the book is my favorite as Ryan welcomes her new sister in the midst of drama, family love, and plenty of excitement. She also finds a way to give back to her community using her love of cooking.

Overall: Ways to Grow Love

Ways to Grow Love is a sweet follow up to the first installment of the Ryan Hart series. Readers will be entertained by Ryan’s antics even as they learn how to navigate the ups and downs of relationships with grace and kindness for others. This is a perfect elementary school/young middle grade book for kids who have mixed feelings about welcoming a new sibling and will appeal to those dealing with friendship issues or learning to share their besties with new friends. Overall, very well worth reading.

Buy This Book

Ways to Grow Love

More Book Reviews

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  • Farah Rocks Fifth Grade by Susan Muaddi Darraj
  • Stella Diaz Dreams Big by Angela Dominguez

I always say Ryan Hart reminds me a lot of Ramona! If you’re looking for more elementary school books with fierce heroines, here’s my list of books like Ramona.

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Posted In: Book Reviews, Middle-Grade · Tagged: food books, friendship drama, set in summer, siblings, summer camp, welcoming a new sibling

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🥽 I loved the illustration style in this one and while I found the VR setting a bit disorienting, I appreciated the unique lens of the story. The graphic novel format works brilliantly for helping readers appreciate the power of VR. I think with text, it would have just been too much “world-building.” This is more engaging and exciting for kids.

🐢 Lo and Behold is a clever middle grade graphic novel about virtual reality, grief, and parental addiction. Readers who enjoy VR will love this one, but as the Author's Note mentions, it will also be a fantastic introduction for those who, like me, aren't familiar with it. A fun summer read with hints of serious themes.

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☀️ Meet the Bookstagrammer ☀️ Hi, new fol ☀️ Meet the Bookstagrammer ☀️

Hi, new followers! It’s such a pleasure to have a few new faces around. I love finding new readers to follow on the gram. 

My name is Afoma and I run a book blog called Reading Middle Grade. I also run a Facebook Group and newsletter related to my blog. In my day job, I’m a freelance writer and editor, with a degree in medicine.

I’ve lived in three continents (born in Nigeria, med school in Ukraine and the Caribbean). I live in Nigeria now with my husband and many, many books 🤭 I love to cook and travel and run. This year, one of my goals is to become a better runner. I’m currently able to run 2K without stopping. 

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Thank you so much for following my reading journey! Tell me something about yourself — hobbies, favorite books, anything! ❤️
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