16 August 2019

Because of the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord, 2019

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On the last night of summer, Emma tags along with her game warden father on a routine call. They're supposed to rescue a wild rabbit from a picket fence, but instead they find a little bunny. Emma convinces her father to bring him home for the night.

The next day, Emma starts public school for the very first time after years of being homeschooled. More than anything, Emma wants to make a best friend in school.
But things don't go as planned. On the first day of school, she's paired with a boy named Jack for a project. He can't stay on topic, he speaks out of turn, and he's obsessed with animals. Jack doesn't fit in, and Emma's worried he'll make her stand out.

Emma and Jack bond over her rescue rabbit. But will their new friendship keep Emma from finding the new best friend she's meant to have?

(192 pages)

I read this book at the start of the summer before heading off to start my internship, and I’m just now getting around to reviewing it. I think right out of the gate it’s a bad sign that I’m having such a hard time remembering the book, because I usually have a good memory for the books that I read. This may just be the cause it’s for such a younger audience than I fit into, so it didn’t match my interests well enough to stick in my mind.

But to be honest, from what I do remember I actually really enjoyed this book. I was homeschooled myself for most of my childhood, and I still remember my nerves when I started school in high school. I connected to Emma quite a bit when I was reading the book, her nervousness and honest attempts at fitting in and finding her way in a new environment rang very true to me.

I’m not always the biggest fan of school drama stories, or stories about kids who are mean to their new friends because they’re worried about being “cool,” but it was done pretty well and realistically here and I didn’t cringe too much.

All in all, this is a nice but ultimately fairly forgettable book. It’s pretty innocuous as far as I can remember, though, so if you or any kids in your life are interested in reading it I’d say go ahead and check it out!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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