This book is out in the world today and here's a reminder that it's gorgeous and wholesome and funny and uplifting and absolutely everything a middle grade novel should be. Happy pub day, MAYBELLE!

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So wholesome and sweet and lovely and exactly what all middle grade novels should aspire to be. ( )

In this debut novel by Kate O'Shaughnessy, Maybelle Lane has never known her father. Raised by a single mother, all that she has of him is a tape from the answering machine. After hearing his laugh on a radio in Nashville; Maybelle joins with her middle school English teacher, a boy from the trailer park and a handicapped dog to enter a singing contest and travel to meet him. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to overcome their fears or anxieties and learn how to stand up for themselves to really shine. ( )

Maybelle Lane has been collecting sounds her whole life. Her favorite sound is that of her father’s voice, a man she has never known, on an old cell phone. Then, one day she hears that voice on the radio. His station is sponsoring a singing contest and Maybell knows that she just has to enter, but how will she get there?
The author weaves a story about family and unlikely friendships. She uses well developed characters, humor and emotions to drive the plot. Readers in grades 4-6 will love this story. It could also work well as a class read aloud. ( )

Eleven-year-old Maybelle and her mother moved to a trailer park in Davenport, La., after a falling-out with Maybelle’s Baton Rouge grandparents. It is a struggle to make ends meet and Maybelle feels the reason they were made to move is her fault. Maybelle’s mom now works two jobs and still struggles to get by. This leaves her daughter alone much of the time. Lonely Maybelle, who is white, is bullied at school after her mother goes on a date with Miss King, a teacher at her school. Children can be so cruel.

When her mom gets a monthlong job singing on a cruise ship, Maybelle is left in the care of African-American neighbor Mrs. Boggs. Mrs. Boggs is a strict, straight laced teacher at Maybelle’s school. Why is Mrs. Boggs so sad wearing her grey and black clothes. Yes, there is a reason for this.
Maybelle is of course curious about the father she’s never met and knows nothing about. Then one day through a peculiar set of circumstances, she learns that her dad is a radio DJ in Nashville, Tennessee. And, he will be one of the judges for a singing contest in Nashville. Impulsively, she enters, with no plan of how to get there. After sort of leveling with Mrs. Boggs her plan, uncharacteristically Mrs. Boggs decides to fire up the Winnebago and take her to Nashville. Neighbor Tommy, who is white and Maybelle’s occasional bully, stows away on the RV and isn’t discovered until they are five hours into the journey. Mrs. Boggs persuades Maybelle to give him a chance, knowing that Tommy may have his own struggles. Tommy’s struggles at hone are alluded to, but the reader can read between the lines. They call and get permission for Tommy to complete the trip.
Soon the threesome, along with Pickle a crippled dog they rescue along the way, are having an enjoyable adventure. I didn’t think the part about how they acquired the dog was in character for Mrs. Boggs. As they close in on Nashville, Maybelle, who suffers from anxiety, panic attacks, and a fear of singing, must dig deep to find the courage to perform when they finally arrive. Added to this is the unknown about whether her father will accept her when she reveals who she is.

There is so much heart in this story that I felt the chills of emotion creep over my skin many times.
This road trip story gets to the core of what it means to create family, to be brave, and to accept the flaws of being human.
A book for age ten to 110.
I think it is certainly Newbery worthy. ( )

This was a sweet story that had a few twists and turns with a heartwarming ending. Yes, it's a middle grade novel but sometimes that's just what I need to be reading. Eleven-year-old Maybelle Lane enters a singing contest in Nashville, because her D.J. father (who doesn't even know she exists) will be one of the judges and she believes once he meets her he will love her. But how will May get all the way from Louisiana to Nashville? This is just one of the many obstacles that May overcomes in this story of a road trip that's a journey of the heart. I was so impressed with this debut novel. Loved the variety of characters, and how the author wove themes of loss, healing, and love into this story of courage and family. I guarantee you'll be smiling when you turn the last page. ( )