THE SECRETS OF BLUEBERRIES, BROTHERS, MOOSE & ME by Sara Nickerson tells the heart-warming story of twelve-year-old Missy who takes a job picking blueberries over the summer.

In this coming-of-age story, Missy learns that the world isn’t black and white, good or evil, or even right versus wrong. Instead, connections like divorce and remarriage, friendships, sibling relationships, and a family farm feud contain multiple perspectives that evolve over time.

Nickerson’s conversational writing style is perfect for middle grade youth negotiating a constantly changing world. Many youth will relate to Missy’s wide range of emotions regarding work and family.

Librarians will find a large audience for this realistic, coming-of-age novel that bridges the middle grades and young adult genres. While any of today’s novels contain over-the-top drama, this quiet story is a good choice for readers seeking relatable characters and authentic situations with a twist of secrets and the feeling of magic.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.saranickerson.com/.

Published by Dutton, an imprint of Penguin on July 21, 2015. ( )

Twelve-year-old Missy McKenzie does not want things to change butTheSecretsOfBlueberries in the year after her parents’ divorce that is what is occurring. Her fourteen-year-old brother Patrick, once her main support, is changing. He is conscious of his physique and is trying to bulk up to lose that ‘stick boy’ nickname. He is interested in clothes and a girl, Shauna, he met at the McKenzie’s summer jobs picking blueberries on a local farm. Missy’s friends have outgrown the ‘3-D glasses without lenses’ that they made and decorated. Her father has decided to remarry. Regardless of how much she wishes, things are changing. The place she feels the most comfortable is on the blueberry farm, owned by Moose and Bev, communing with nature. However, there, too things are changing and secrets are being let out. The unexplained blood feud between Moose and his brother Lyle is consuming the imaginations of the young blueberry pickers.

The Secrets of Blueberries by Sara Nickerson is a new twist on growing up. It is difficult for a younger sibling to watch an older one venture out on his/her own. It is even harder when friends mature a little faster. It is rare that a suburban tween can experience farm life and feel bound by nature. Nickerson does a fine job of reminding readers that our food does not grow in cans and plastic wrap; there are dedicated farmers who grow these crops. Missy’s growing pains will strike chords with young female tweens and provide an enjoyable read.

The Secrets of Blueberries is a cute read. ( )