I just adore this book. When you first begin the book it seems like it will be a simple story about a first crush and first love, but then it takes a sharp turn for reality.
Shug covers the hurt of a first love, and the tough changes that young adolescents have to deal with. Friends start to change and move on, families start to change; siblings get older and you start to realize that Mom and Dad aren't the super heroes you once thought they were. Your body starts changing and you feel like you're left behind. Doing the "right" thing starts to get more and more difficult. Fitting in is the number one thing in your life. The book is just plain real. The author's language wasn't forced, and the story and characters just flowed together so nicely. I felt Shug's pain, and her happiness. I remember feeling all of the emotions she feels when I was a young girl, so I am sure young readers would feel like they finally have someone to relate to.A great read that I highly recommend to everyone!
Katie, this is a great initial response. It would be great if you would come back to this and use the typology of questions from the ABC article (Mizokawa & Hansen-Krening) as a guide to deepen your response so you transact fully with the text.
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