Sally J. PlaCritiques

This book was so sweet and charming!

First sentence: I learned this great calm-down trick recently. It was the end-of-the-year seventh-grade dance, back in Houston, which is where I live during the school year with my mom and stepdad.

Premise/plot: Maudie McGinn looks forward to spending summers with her dad in California, but a wildfire destroys "plan A" and the two quickly come up with a "plan B." Maudie didn't plan on spending her summer learning to surf while her father hunts for a job. But ANYTHING is better than having to spend the summer with her mother and stepfather instead. Will Maudie share her deepest, darkest secret by the time the summer is over?

My thoughts: Maudie has autism but that is not the whole story; that is not what the whole book revolves around. I love seeing Maudie begin to live life more fully and freely. The book does have a happily-ever-after, rosy ending, BUT, only after much worry and angst. Maudie does deserve some happiness after living with her stepfather for several years and enduring much cruelty.

I do think most of the characters fall into two categories--either perfectly perfect saints or dastardly villains. But overall I enjoyed this one very much.

#ownvoices for autism.

I listened to the audiobook of [b:The Goldfish Boy|26891408|The Goldfish Boy|Lisa Thompson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469730951s/26891408.jpg|46942352] at the same time I was reading this. I prefer Goldfish Boy by a lot. So it's hard for me to say how I'd feel about Someday Birds if Goldfish Boy wasn't so similar and, in my opinion, superior. Both books are about 12-year-old boys who wash their hands compulsively. And both of the boys are kind of desperate to meet a goal (to find a missing boy / to find a bunch of birds). Both books have first-person narration. They are both thematically about the boy being brave in the face of tremendous (though irrational) fear.

Some stray criticisms:
- I thought Charlie finding Tiberius Shaw's personal journal was a bit too magical for an otherwise realistic book.

-Ludmila's story felt a bit shoehorned in - as if the author really wanted her readers to know about Sarajevo, rather than it serving the story.

Some stray appreciations:
-Charlie is a likable character and his love of chicken nuggets is endearing. Readers will root for him.

-I always love a sweet dog sidekick.

-The Tiberius Shaw quotes at the beginning of each chapter were beautifully written and relevant to the action.

87

I so enjoyed listening to this novel about autistic Maudie.

Maudie lives in Texas with her mother and new stepfather. In flashbacks, we learn about Maudie's life in Texas. Her mother strives to be well-known on social media, spending time gettings as many followers as she can in order to make a living as an influencer. She fails to understand Maudie's autism. She feels that Maudie should just get over it. Just let the issues go. Maudie doesn't like talking to people on the phone or being in crowds or talking to anyone she doesn't know well. Maudie's new stepfather believes that being harsh and abusive will fix Maudie's problems. Needless to say, Maudie is thrilled to be spending the summer, as she does every summer, with her father. He owns a beautiful cabin in the mountains of California. On the day Maudie arrives, she finds herself homeless. A fire sweeps through the forest, keeping them from returning to the cabin. They lose everything. Her father is a wood worker, actually, an artist with wood. His latest contract was building bar stools for a rich client. Now, they have nothing--no money, clothes, food, or shelter.

Maudie and her father end up returning to the father's hometown on the coast of California. Here Maudie finds a life she never would have imagined she wanted. There's a surf contest coming up and the winner in the beginner's division will win $1000. She must win that for her father. Feeling drawn to the water, Maudie meets a surfer who eventually agrees to help teach her. She meets her father's best friend and his family who become their family. Maudie feels that she's found a loving home where people don't call her bad words.. They love, support, and respect her. She would love to stay with her dad forever.

This novel is sweet. Maudie finds people who help and support her. All kids need adults who protect and love them while letting them explore who they are as people, not chaining them down by their own limited ideas/expectations. It's worth your time. It also helped me understand autism a bit more.

Poignant, informative, moving. The language is engaging and flows

Thoughtful, bittersweet, humorous, full of nature's beauty and humanity. I love Charlie's neurodiverse voice and his annoying, quirky, loving family, both biological and found.

Nothing seems to be going right for Sammy today. At school, he got in trouble for kicking a fence, then the cafeteria ran out of pizza for lunch. After he walks home in the pouring rain, he finds his autistic little brother Benji is having a bad day too.

children's/middlegrade (4th-8th) fiction - comic con/trivia, conquering fears, misfits, friendship.
sweet story about friendship and dealing with anxiety that comic fans can appreciate. The opening scene reminded me strongly of wimpy kid shenanigans and it was a fast-paced read.

This is a story about a boy named Sammy and he is having a bad day. Instead of being comforted by his mom, he feels like he is being pushed to the side since his little brother, Benji, is autistic and needs more attention. Benji noticed that Sammy was crying in the kitchen and he comforts his brother by wrapping him in a blanket, the same way his mom does to him when he's having a rough day. Sammy feels much better after his little brother's gesture that he decides to play with him. He's reminded that whether they have a good day or a bad day, they will be okay since they have each other. This is a great book to teach younger kids about caring for others.

The boy in this story is having a bad day. His little brother is on the autism spectrum and typically takes up more of their parent's time. But, he sets out on a mission to cheer up his brother through this likes rolling him up into a burrito. This is something that is hard for children with autism to do. So, this shows the growth of the younger brother and relying on family when times are tough.

Heartwarming, poignant coming-of-age story of a 12 year old boy named Charlie, who is autistic and has OCD. Bird-loving Charlie, along with his siblings and their babysitter, road trip across the country to visit his hospitalized dad. This appealing story includes themes such as adventure, family, acceptance, and personal growth. Excellent characterization.

Heartwarming, poignant coming-of-age story of a 12 year old boy named Charlie, who is autistic and has OCD. Bird-loving Charlie, along with his siblings and their babysitter, road trip across the country to visit his hospitalized dad. This appealing story includes themes such as adventure, family, acceptance, and personal growth. Excellent characterization. (Kristin B. review from award presentation)

Very Heartwarming book about a brothers bad day and how his little brother who often requires more attention from his mother saw him and helped him to have a better day.

This young boy is having a very rough day. He goes home in not the best mood and is greeted by his very busy mother who is more interested in answering phones and keeping things quiet for the youngest child, who has autism. Despite his rough day, his little brother Benji tries to make his day a little better by wrapping his brother in a burrito! This is a relatable story on the lesson of managing emotions and relying on family during rough times.½

Sensitive Charlie has several struggles. He must wash his hands twelve times before they are clean, he only eats chicken nuggets which must be arranged systematically before consumption, he is sandwiched between a teen-age sister and younger twin brothers who often make fun of him and his Gram makes him spend time in the hospital, a “home away from home”, to visit his dad who was injured in Afghanistan while working as a journalist. Charlie knew that his father’s head injury meant that his “Dad never know if we’re in the hospital room or not”. When Gram travels with Dad from Southern California to a hospital in Virginia for more treatment, Charlie and his siblings attempt a 2500 mile road trip to escape their mysterious guardian, Milla the Gorilla, reunite their family and protect their father. Surprisingly, their guardian proves to be a great ally (with a significant connection to their father) on their travels. Although Charlie struggles with his OCD across country, he is motivated by the work of famed ornithologist Tiberius Shaw and the goal of spotting all the birds on the list of species that he and his dad planned to see together. Along the way, he makes friends, gains confidence, grows closer with his family and gets an unexpected surprise message at the end.
What makes this more than a coming of age story is the brilliant characterization of the main character Charlie.½

Take a boy named Stanley, who loves comics, his brother Calvin who loves to torment Stanley, and The Trivia Quest Treasure Hunt, a contest that Stanley and his best friend Joon want to win, and you have a fun adventure. Well, mostly fun, with a few complications.

Sally J. Pla has written a story that middle grade and even older readers will enjoy. When Stanley and Joon enter The Trivia Quest Treasure Hunt, Stanley discovers that best friends are not always loyal. Even more surprising, someone he does not expect to be a best friend might be just that. Confused? So is Stanley at times. But he is a kid with a goal and will let nothing stop him from achieving that goal.

The author has created true-to-life characters that you might meet in most any school. Stanley doesn’t always understand why life turns out the way it does, but he deals with each situation he faces in his way. When things don’t work out for Stanley and his old best friend, he and his new best friend-I’m not saying who-enter the Treasure Hunt while his former best friend and his new best friend do the same. Will either team win the Treasure Hunt and get to attend Comic Fest? Or will they have to watch another team be the winners? You may be surprised at the answer.
STANLEY WILL PROBABLY BE FINE would make a great addition to middle school libraries and classrooms, as well as your own library. Highly recommended.
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This is a story, told in the first-person voice of 12-year old Charlie, an autistic boy obsessed with birds (among other things), and the cross-country road trip he and his family embark on from the west coast to the east, to visit his injured dad, hospitalized in Virginia. This is a story of adventure, but also of family, change, growth, transformation and acceptance. There are laugh-out-loud moments, and also sad and scary moments, too. The book, originally written, I believe, for middle school aged kids, is one that I (definitely far from that age group!) could not put down. And I don't think that is because of the dark stuff I've recently been immersed in. It's just that good a read!

"Dad was so excited. If I can tell him that I've checked a great horned owl (GHO) off our list of Someday Birds, he would like that. It would make him feel happy. And feeling happy makes you heal quicker."

Charlie is twelve. He loves colored pencils, chicken nuggets and birds. When his father is injured in Afghanistan, he is returned to California to recover from his serious injuries. It is then decided he needs to be transferred, to Virginia for some advanced medical treatment. This leaves Charlie's grandmother to look after Charlie and his siblings. The family agrees to travel cross country in an old beat up RV to visit their father. Charlie also decides to create a Someday Birds List, which lists his favorite birds. He will check off this list, throughout the journey and then share this list with his recovering father.
This is a heartfelt story, nicely written, filled with love and hope. Charlie is a special character and it is a joy to look at the world, through his eyes. Here is his description of his first bald eagle sighting:

“He is perched on a pine branch overhanging the murky green water, a postage stamp come to life. He cocks his head, showing off his powerful golden beak and his piercing eye. He is a thousand times more fabulous-looking than any photo or drawing...He looks like the Master of the Universe.”

Bird-loving Charlie’s life dramatically changes when his Dad is sent to a hospital across the country. Injured in Afghanistan, Charlie’s Dad needs special attention from an expert doctor. Charlie’s grandmother and sole caretaker must go to be with Charlie’s father. The only person left to care for Charlie and his siblings is a strange tattooed girl named Ludmila whom they know little about. Ludmila decides to take the kids on a road trip across the country so they can be with their Dad. Charlie doesn’t want to leave home, but maybe he can spot birds from the Someday Bird List Charlie and his Dad created. During the journey, Ludmila’s secrets emerge, forever changing this family’s lives.

I fell in love with Charlie and his family’s quirky dynamics right away. Charlie and his siblings seemed real and genuine. I was pulled in by this strange Ludmila character, wondering what her connection to Charlie’s Dad was. Author, Sally J. Pla, takes the reader on a funny, heart-wrenching journey across the country. You will not get bored on this adventurous road trip. In the end, the reader will be satisfied and sad to leave the family’s side. A great addition to any fourth grade and above classroom library.

really enjoyed the sample; will hope to read the rest one day.