Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess
$12.99 USD
paperback
Deaf sixth-grader Macy struggles with resentment as her mother sells their house and prepares to add a stepfather and twin stepsisters to their family. Helping an elderly neighbor who is also preparing to move turns from a chore to an escape as Iris finds ways to communicate with Macy and shares stories that inspire the girl to look at life in new ways.
Winner of the 2018 ALA Schneider Family Book Award, Middle Grade Books category
Sixth grade is coming to an end, and so is life as Macy McMillan knows it. Already a "For Sale" sign mars the front lawn of her beloved house. Soon her mother will upend their perfect little family, adding a stepfather and six-year-old twin stepsisters. To add insult to injury, what is Macy's final sixth grade assignment? A genealogy project. Well, she'll put it off - just like those wedding centerpieces she's supposed to be making.
Just when Macy's mother ought to be understanding, she sends Macy next door to help eighty six-year-old Iris Gillan, who is also getting ready to move - in her case into an assisted living facility. Iris can't pack a single box on her own and, worse, she doesn't know sign language. How is Macy supposed to understand her? But Iris has stories to tell, and she isn't going to let Macy's deafness stop her. Soon, through notes and books and cookies, a friendship grows. And this friendship, odd and unexpected, may be just what Macy needs to face the changes in her life.
Shari Green spent a large portion of her childhood summers reading stacks of library books, and she's still in love with stories today. Her novels for middle-grade readers include Root Beer Candy and Other Miracles, Missing Mike, and the multi-award-winning Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess. Shari lives in Campbell River, British Columbia.
2018 ALA Schneider Family Book Award, Middle Grade Books Winner
"Green's free verse makes this a quick, accessible read, focusing on Macy's realistic reluctance to share her mother and her gradual acceptance of the changes in her life....Macy's deafness is a feature but not the focus..."—The Horn Book Magazine
"This touching novel in verse makes clever use of space on each page, not only visually acknowledging Macy's deafness, but inviting all readers to understand and process language in multiple ways. Green's story confronts life's challenges with depth and realism, creating a narrative that is sparse yet impactful, with characters that are bursting with life."—Booklist
"Macy's deafness is skillfully woven into the story, adding depth and complexity to her characterization and relationships with others....VERDICT Macy's coming-of-age anxieties, observations, and insights will resonate with middle grade readers. A strong purchase for public and school libraries."—School Library Journal
"The verse trails down the pages in narrow bands leaving plenty of white space. Even characters that are barely sketched emerge fully realized through the spare yet poignant narrative....Macy's life lessons are realistic and illuminating; that she is deaf adds yet another dimension to an already powerful tale."—Kirkus Reviews
ISBN: 9781772780178
240 pages 8 in H | 5.8 in W | 0.7 lb WtPlease select all options.