Middle Grade Monday: Give and Take by Elly Swartz

Image: Macmillan

Give and Take by Elly Swartz. 314 p. Farrar Straus and Giroux/ Macmillan Publishers, October, 2019. 9780374308216. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features Give and Take by Elly Swartz. Change is hard! Children in particular, might have a hard time coping with change, especially when it brings sadness, as is Maggie's case. She's been hit by a triple-whammy of change. Maggie's beloved grandmother recently died, but before that, she suffered from dementia. One day, her grandmother just forgot who Maggie was. So Maggie began saving things in order not to forget anything in her life. Only these weren't just memorable objects. They were odd things, like gum wrappers and empty milk containers. 

Then she finds out that her shooting coach father has invited a boy to join her all girl trap-shooting team! And, when her family temporarily fosters a newborn named Isabella, Maggie becomes attached. Even though her mother cautions that the situation is only temporary, Maggie hopes Izzy will stay. Her compulsion to save/ hoard gets out of control. And so does her anger. When her mother discovers her hoard of stuff and cleans, Maggie loses it.

Swartz excels at writing sympathetic tweens struggling with anxiety and mental illness. (Finding Perfect) Maggie has a loving and supportive family who firmly but lovingly put her in the care of a behavioral psychologist to get at the root of her problem. Along the way, readers meet her wide circle of friends and learn a bit about trap-shooting. 

What a wonderful story! I have such fierce love for everything about this book from the amazing cover to the end notes with resources. Give and Take is a great addition to any school, public or classroom library!