5 STAR ARC Review: Ava and Pip by Carol Weston

Very few children's books bring education with fun, although many promise the same.  This delivers more than what is promised..

Original Title: Ava and Pip

Author: Carol Weston

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Release Date: March 4th 2014

Source: Review copy from the publisher

Genre: Middle Grade

An endearing tween story about friendship, family, identity, and inspiration

Outgoing Ava loves her older sister, Pip, but can't understand why Pip is so reserved and never seems to make friends with others. When Ava uses her writing talents to help her sister overcome her shyness, both girls learn the impact their words and stories can have on the world around them.

REVIEW

Ava and Pip are sisters, belonging to a family of word nerds.  With a beautiful family with members named after palindromes - BOB (DAD), ANNA (MOM), PIP and AVA, the family faces some small issues and that is what the readers know through Ava's diary.

Ava is our normal kid who loves her older sister, Pip.  But, she has her issues.. Pip is an extreme introvert, not speaking with anyone and keeping to herself.  Her family give Pip more care and support, with the result of Ava being ignored.  When Pip has a birthday party, her friends cancel on her at the last minute giving lame excuses and the true reason being Pip's classmate Bea Bates having the first boy-girl party of the year.  When Pip shares this to Ava, Ava writes a story about a rude Bea stung by a queen bee for a competition.  This got 'honorable' mention and soon everyone knows that Ava has written about the real life girl, who we come know is so different than what Ava thought.  When the girls come face to face with each other and everything in life changes...

I am new to Carol Weston's books and I am greatly impressed.  One can't expect a better book for kids, which imbibe good qualities and education in such a perfect way.  Without even knowing that they learn, kids will learn many new words, palindromes and homonyms.  And yes, there is a great story as well...with a moral.

It took me a couple of hours to finish this book, but I can't put this book down.  This is the first children's book that kept me late from sleep.  It's absolutely perfect unadulterated fun.  In author's own words, this is

"about a good kid who does a bad thing and sometimes feels invisible, but who helps her sister find her voice and ends up finding her own"

This is like reading "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" book, but this kid is not wimpy, but smart, funny, kind and intelligent, and of course, a cute word nerd.

If you have a kid, this is a MUST-BUY!  I assure you that they will enjoy this more than you think..