My Jasper June
By Mary Eisenhart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Moving, relatable story of loss, life-changing friendship.
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What's the Story?
MY JASPER JUNE is the tale of an eventful summer in the life of 13-year-old Leah. In the wake of a tragedy the previous summer, everything's changed for her and and her parents, as they find themselves going through the motions of their "normal" lives in a comfortable Atlanta neighborhood and finding it's not really working. Coping with the fact that she and her lifelong friends seem to have nothing in common any more, Leah's not looking forward to summer, but, while hiking in the woods, she meets Jasper, a confident, funny girl about her own age with wild red hair. It's an instant connection, and one that opens Leah's eyes to the fact that other teens have lives very different from hers. Their friendship grows. So do the challenges and dangers.
Is It Any Good?
There's a lot to love in Laurel Snyder's story of the life-changing friendship of two Atlanta teens coping with very different, serious challenges. My Jasper June finds Leah adrift, angry, and relatable as her old life falls apart; new friend Jasper's dealing with her own traumas and perils. When they find each other, readers will cheer their friendship and the healing it brings -- while also worrying what will happen when Leah and Jasper's small world collides with the big one.
"'The thing is...,' I said, 'when it happens, death, people actually stop making eye contact with you. Did you know that? Your friends, even your best friends. Like with (my former best friend)... It wasn't like she wanted to ditch me. I don't think she meant to do it. It was just like she didn't know how to talk to me anymore. After being friends all our lives. Nobody did.'"
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stories that deal with loss and death. Does My Jasper June deal with the experience believably? Do you think stories like this are helpful to people dealing with their own personal tragedies?
Do you have any friends whose lives or family situations are very different from your own? How do you deal with the differences? Do they sometimes make you see situations differently?
Have you been to summer camp? Did you like it, or would you rather stay home?
Book Details
- Author: Laurel Snyder
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , Middle School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Walden Pond Press
- Publication date: September 3, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 304
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: August 2, 2021
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