Out of Place

April 1, 2019

Gr 3-6-Shy and quirky Cove has never left the island of Martha's Vineyard. She longs for discovery, and is heartbroken to learn her best friend Nina will be moving away to New York City to live a life of adventure without her. To make things worse, she is bullied at school by a group of mean-spirited girls. Cove finds respite in a local thrift store and befriends Jonah, a college student who avidly watches the fashion competition television show Create You. Soon after, she meets retired seamstress Anna and a quiet boy at school named Jack. Her three new friends inspire her to try her chance at competing on Create You, and Cove soon finds that her island contains more excitement than she ever imagined. Blecher's debut is a sensitive and compassionate tribute to every child who has ever felt like a misfit. Supported by clear and precise prose, the narrative progresses at a good pace, making it a strong choice for a classroom read-aloud or a bedtime story. The characters are vibrant and memorable; Cove is an emotionally intelligent heroine who successfully names and processes her feelings. VERDICT A beautiful story about learning to speak up and taking risks. Recommended for collections where books by Erin Entrada Kelly and Lauren Wolk are popular.-Katherine Hickey, Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma City

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April 1, 2019
Missing her best friend, Nina, who's moved to New York, Cove, 12, faces the mean-girl bullies of her Martha's Vineyard middle school alone. Nina's dads invite them to visit, but Cove's mom insists they'll never leave the island. Focused on her own spiritual path and with a new boyfriend in tow, she gives Cove's daily struggles little attention. Tormented by girls who bark when they see her, Cove misses Nina most at school. With bullying out of control, the school assigns community service to instill compassion in students and improve the school's image. Jonah at the used-clothing store introduces Cove to a TV reality show on which would-be fashion designers ages 12 through 17 design and sew in competition. Smitten (home's TV-free), Cove, a talented artist, fantasizes about competing on the show in New York and seeing Nina. A nursing-home resident who once sewed for Coco Chanel agrees to teach Cove, but progress is frustratingly slow. Hanging with Jonah and dumpster-diving with new student Jack make life bearable, but only just, so Cove hatches a desperate plan. Slow to take shape, the plot's end-loaded. While readers have to work for it, this thought-provoking tale of childhood isolation and powerlessness experienced in a socially networked world rewards the effort. Cove and her mom present white; race is not noted in the text, leaving the illustrations (not seen) to fill in those blanks. Raising more questions than it answers, this recommended read should spark lively discussion; a good bet for an intergenerational book club. (Fiction. 8-12)

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May 6, 2019
Cove Bernstein, 12, lives on Martha’s Vineyard with her overprotective mother. Bullied at school for dressing differently, Cove finds solace in her friendship with Nina and Nina’s nurturing and artistic dads. When Nina moves to New York City, though, Cove feels increasingly desperate and lonely despite a tentative friendship with a new boy at school. While visiting a local secondhand store, Cove discovers a show about a kids’ fashion design competition in New York. Frustrated with her mom’s unwillingness to let her leave the island, tired of being the butt of jokes at school, and determined to see Nina again, Cove vows to become a contestant on the show even if it means she has to break some rules to do it. In Cove, Blecher has created a sweet and realistically vulnerable character who longs to feel validated and respected. The taunts of the mean girls are devastatingly true to life, the story’s leisurely pace doesn’t lag, and the ending is hopeful without feeling cliché. All in all, this is a tender, uncomplicated coming-of-age story that illustrates how hard it can be to fit in at any age. Ages 8–12. Agent: Alexander Slater, Trident Media Group.

Narrator Kathleen McInerney memorably portrays both adult and child characters in this compassionate audiobook. She particularly shines as the misfit protagonist, Cove, an emotionally intelligent middle schooler living on Martha's Vineyard. Cove is heartbroken when her best friend, Nina, moves off the island, leaving Cove on her own in dealing with the mean girls at school. McInerney convinces listeners of Cove's sadness and anger at being left behind. She imbues both girls with a sweet innocence that increases listeners' affection for them. The smirking meanness in the bullies' voices further heightens our sympathy. As Cove takes risks on her own and makes new friends, we hear her increased confidence and pride. Anyone who has ever felt left out will cheer for this relatable girl. S.C. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine