The Stepmom Shake-Up

April 1, 2020
A story of changing family dynamics and a child's struggle to keep family life the same. Ever since Grace's mom passed away three years ago, it has been her and her minister dad, Davy, on their own. Grace thinks their happy family is perfectly fine with the two of them. However, Davy's Baptist congregation has other opinions about their pastor being single. At the congregation's instigation, Davy turns into a dating man, and Grace has something to say about that. With the help of her best friend, Bea, Grace manages to sabotage her dad's many dates, often in slapstick fashion. While her dad does not seem to realize why his dates are not successful, Grace's teacher, Miss O'Connor, catches on pretty quickly, and all of a sudden she becomes an important part of Grace's life. Soon it's Grace trying to set her dad up on dates instead of destroying them. With sympathy and humor, Lenz paints a realistic picture of a young adolescent facing sudden change. Grace's world is a largely white and well-to-do one, but it is refreshing to see a happy, well-adjusted preacher's kid whose faith feels genuine, not forced. A funny, sympathetic look at a kid grappling with family change. (Fiction. 8-12)

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June 1, 2020

Gr 3-6-Eleven-year-old Grace and her pastor and father Davy are a team, standing together since the painful loss of her mother three years ago. They call themselves Team Gravy (GRAce + daVY), just one example of how corny humor and loving relationships infuse this title. Grace believes the family is perfect and that her father does not need to start dating at the behest of two older church women-especially after observing best friend Bea's rough transition during her family's adoption of a baby. Grace decides to foil her father's dates, convinced that no one can appreciate his geeky humor, bad puns, and passion for history like she does. Through Parent Trap-like escapades with Bea, she comes to realize that her beloved history teacher Olivia is the perfect match for the entire family, but the problem is how to get the two adults to realize their true feelings for one another. This book focuses on a unique setting and characters while gently weaving together themes of love, loss, and healing. However, an overemphasis on venerating the U.S. presidents, without acknowledgment of the racism and bias of so many of these men, is problematic. VERDICT The benefits of purchasing a title for a specific readership must be weighed against its whitewashed presentation of U.S. history that omits other realities, such as slave-ownership or the trauma for many at the construction of the Panama Canal.-Ruth Quiroa, National Louis Univ., Lisle, IL

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