Georgia Rules

May 8, 2017
A 12-year-old’s attempt to learn about her recently deceased father while at odds with her conservative mother provides the framework for Steveson’s well-crafted novel. Magnolia Grace Austin, aka Maggie, inherits a farm from her late father, whom she never really knew. In order to sell the farm, Maggie and her mother must live there for one year to satisfy the terms of the will, so the summer before seventh grade, Maggie and Mama move from Atlanta to Vermont. Small-town life proves to be a big adjustment for both, and Steveson (Swing Sideways) weaves divorce, same-sex relationships, adoption, disability, PTSD, and more into the story, forcing Maggie and Mama to rethink certain attitudes while also propelling the narrative. Maggie’s developing friendships with the sprawling Parker family—made up of two mothers and biological, adopted, and foster children—become a catalyst for change in their lives. The strained relationship between Maggie and Mama is especially poignant as they try to find their way in uncharted territory. It’s an inspiring story of opening eyes and expanding perceptions. Ages 8–12. Agent: Al Zuckerman, Writers House.

February 15, 2017
Twelve-year-old Maggie moves from Atlanta to Vermont. Her long-estranged father left her his family farm after his unexpected death, with the stipulation that she must live there for a year. Maggie's stepfather and mother are already divorcing, since he's come out, and Maggie's appearance-oriented Southern-belle mother is glad they have a fresh start, even if it's in the country. In Vermont Maggie learns that the father she barely knew was an artist and a local hero; she's befriended by the Parkers, a large, multiracial family headed by two moms, who were especially close to him. (Maggie and her mother are white.) Over a span of six months, Maggie learns to love Vermont and treasure memories of her father. Steveson's writing is lucid and smooth, and Maggie and the Parkers are appealing characters, but the novel suffers from the same issue as the author's first, Swing Sideways (2016): most of the plot elements rely on character inconsistencies and obfuscations. Vermont is well-evoked, but Georgia isn't: the "Georgia rules" of the title seem mostly to consist of saying "Ma'am" and "Sir." And while Maggie's relationship with her biological father is well-drawn from a patchwork of memory and objects, her relationship with her stepfather, with whom she lived for seven years, is nonexistent, relegating him to yet another plot device. When Steveson's stories can match her descriptions, she'll be terrific; this one doesn't hit that mark. (Fiction. 8-12)

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March 1, 2017

Gr 4-6-Everyone in Vermont knows far more about Maggie's dad, John Austin, than she does. It's not really surprising, since Maggie saw him only once, when she was four. Upon her father's recent death, he left his 2,000-acre farm to Maggie with the proviso that she has to live there for one year. After that, Maggie can sell the farm and live anywhere her picky mom wants. Though reluctant, Maggie agrees to move from Georgia to Vermont. She becomes fast friends with six siblings (five girls and a boy, some of whom are adopted, others of whom are foster kids) and their two moms. As Maggie adjusts to her new surroundings, she begins learning about the life, art, and legacy of her late father. Conversations with her mother also allow the protagonist to understand why her parents divorced and the toll that serving in the war in Afghanistan took on her dad. In addition to witnessing Maggie's own emotional journey, readers get to see her mom change over the course of the book. She becomes less selfish and for the first time puts Maggie's needs above her own. VERDICT A tender coming-of-age story about forgiveness and growing up. A solid purchase for most middle grade collections.-Lillian Hecker, Town of Pelham Public Library, NY

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Starred review from March 15, 2017
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Almost 13-year-old Magnolia GraceMaggieis not happy when events conspire to force her and her mother to leave their Atlanta home for rural Vermont. But her stepfather has left her Southern belle mother for another man, and the farm, which was left to Maggie by her father, can be sold for a goodly sum if, as the will requires, she lives there for one year. At first, Maggie is lost, and her mother, Delilah, settles in for the short haul, gritting her teeth. But Maggie makes friends with an unconventional family, the Parkers, who ease her transition. Just as important, Maggie, who didn't really know her father, begins to feel close to him as she learns more about him: his prodigious artistic talent; his largess to his small Vermont town; and most surprising, his post-traumatic stress disorder. Although the story's arc is not unexpected, this book soars as it details the fractious and frustrating relationship between Maggie and her mother, and the way it makes Vermont, and its beauty throughout the seasons, a character of its own. Along with the many tender moments heresome occurring as Delilah softens thanks to the affections of the two young Parker girlsthere is also determination and revelation, giving this more heft than usual for a middle-grade novel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)