The Lost Language by Claudia Mills. 304 p. Margaret Ferguson Books/ Holiday House, October, 2021. 9780823450381. (Review of finished copy courtesy of author.)
Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and are psyched for this short week running up to the holiday break. Middle Grade Monday features The Lost Language by Claudia Mills. This novel in verse is narrated by Betsy, a sixth grader, who is very good at "being second." She's an only child, who strives to please her strong-willed, critical, over-achieving mother. Her mother is a professor who studies lost languages. She's also BFFs with Lizard, who calls the shots in their friendship and calls Betsy "Bumble," a name Betsy's mother detests. Betsy's mother is constantly suggesting that she branch out and try new things. Read: make new friends. She feels caught between two strong wills.
When Lizard proposes that the two rescue a lost language by learning it and teaching it to their classmates, Betsy agrees, hoping that her mother will be impressed. The club bombs, but Betsy does connect with several classmates and does "branch out" by auditioning for the school play, much to Lizard's chagrin.
Friendships wax and wane throughout age groups (including adulthood), but friendship loss seems most intense during middle school. This is why books about friends and friendship are in high demand at my library. This story is just lovely, mining all the angst and uncertainty, but also unique in that readers will feel sympathy for both the dumped and the dumper. Young readers will grow to understand that both people and friendships can be fragile and flawed. The poems are spare and evocative. Both Betsy and Lizard are relatable, complex and interesting characters.
Readers who crave and love friendship books, will love The Lost Language.
No comments:
Post a Comment