LOVE, MAGGIE

A precocious 8-year-old girl charts the magic and mayhem of her third gradeyear in Marsh’s children’s chapter book.

Each chapter in this book represents a diary entry written by Maggie Montgomery, who readers meet as an 8-year-old girl excited to start third grade after the end of an epic summer. She details various events that occur throughout the year, which include meeting her classroom pet bunny (named Coco) and getting to ride the local theme park’s newest roller coaster (called the Tornado Twister Mister). While Maggie has plenty of fun with her soccer teammates and friends, she also learns valuable lessons along the way; after having not heard great things about her teacher, for example, Maggie takes her mom’s advice to “make [her] own opinions about her, so that’s what [she] decided to do, and guess what? [She] really like[s] her!” When her writing grade slips later in the year, Maggie takes the initiative to talk to her teacher in order to correct her mistakes. After a successful spring musical at the end of the year, she finds herself already looking forward to fourth grade. Many of Maggie’s experiences are universal, such as when a friend moves away after her parents get divorced. Other incidents, like Maggie’s whole family flying to a ski resort over winter break, indicate a certain level of privilege that will be much less relatable to some readers. Her use of all caps and exclamation points can quickly grow exhausting, but Maggie’s unique voice still manages to shine through—as when she mentions that her fickle older sister doesn’t really have a BFF, just a “BFFAH” (“Best Friend for An Hour”). The low-key story, despite touching on divorce and the nerve-racking experience of getting braces, avoids delving into any serious topics or issues that kids may run into. Maggie’s voice provides a purely surface-level narrative, which will be a welcome and refreshing experience for parents who are on the lookout for family-friendly additions to their shelves.

An energetic protagonist takes readers on a fun, light romp through a largely idyllic childhood.