Parents' Guide to

Firecracker

By Kate Pavao, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Irrepressible girl learns to do good in fun, quirky novel.

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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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FIRECRACKER is a quirky book filled with all kinds of fun details. Super-rich Astrid sleeps in an actual rocket hidden on her mansion's property, for example -- the same property where her grandfather, a senator involved in the defense industry, had his pool made in the shape of his own kidney (the same kidney in which JFK once shot him).

But underneath all the goofiness, Astrid is dealing with some real stuff: Her beloved kid brother died right in front of her years ago, for example, and now the grandfather whom she always wanted to be like seems to be rejecting her. Plus, the power she is used to wielding among her peers initially vanishes when she transfers to public school. Readers will race through this often hilarious book, but will hopefully slow down enough to understand the very real lessons Astrid is learning about the difference between being a great person and a good one.

Book Details

  • Author: David Iserson
  • Genre: Coming of Age
  • Topics: High School
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publisher: Razorbill
  • Publication date: May 16, 2013
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
  • Number of pages: 336
  • Available on: Nook, Hardback, Kindle
  • Last updated: July 12, 2017

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