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Karen Kingsbury and Tyler Russell's Best Family Ever is a warm family story for 8 year olds about five brothers and sisters who are sure nothing will ever change.
The Baxters live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in a white brick house at the end of a cul-de-sac. There's an ice rink five houses down. Mum bakes snickerdoodles for after school. Ashley thinks nowhere in the whole world could be as good.
So when a moving truck turns up at the neighbours', the children promise each other they'll never move. Not ever. (You can probably guess where this is heading.) Dad's work is about to move them all to a town in Indiana called Bloomington, and every one of them will have to say goodbye.
Before that there's plenty of ordinary life. Ashley twirls off the school bus pretending to be a snowflake and crashes straight into Eric Powers, the rudest boy in her class. Her teacher puts her in charge of the Valentine's Day party anyway. Kari, who's eleven, can't decide what to wear in case Jason Jennings gives her a special valentine (he does, sort of).
The chapters swap between Ashley and Kari. Ashley is loud and full of plans, always in trouble for not listening and always sure the next idea will be effervescent (her new favourite word). Kari worries about what everyone thinks of her. Between them you get both sides of being sisters who share a bedroom.
It's gentle and very wholesome. Mum is endlessly patient. Faith runs all through the family, from Ashley telling Kari to talk to God about her dreams to her deciding that forgiving Eric is the right thing to do.
It's an American family, so expect fourth grade, snow pants and valentines for the whole class. Luke, the littlest, calls them "valentimes" (bless him).
If your reader loves big families where everybody knows everybody's business, this is a very comfortable place to be.
If they want to see how the move goes, Finding Home picks up on the long car journey to Bloomington, with Ashley slumped in the back seat missing her best friend.
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