The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn
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The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn
Grades 5 & up
Realistic Fiction
Benji, The Bad Day, and Me The Someday Birds Stanley will Probably Be Fine |
Book Summary:
Maudie lives with her mother, who is a social media influencer, and now Ron, who used to be a professional football player. Maudie has autism, and she works to hide it from other kids, and in public, and, increasingly, from her mother and stepfather. She spends every summer with her father, but after tragedy strikes, they head to his hometown at the beach, where Maudie meets his childhood friends and learns to surf. Maudie is gaining a sense of confidence this summer, but she still can't bring herself to tell her father the secret she promised she'd keep - even if it's hurting her. Book Review: This is a beautifully written book, and Maudie's sensory discomfort is depicted brilliantly - clothes are described less by their color and more by their scratchiness, and analogies for social discomfort and sensory overload ring true. The contrast between Maudie's father, who is patient and listens, and her mother, who wants her to act "normal," is heartbreaking and vivid. I like books about characters who find strength to overcome hard things, but I especially like this book because it is not just about the hard things - it is about a real human who also experiences joys and hopes and growth. This is not a book that is only about autism or abuse, but those things are depicted authentically as part of a whole human story. " I tread water and wait. I shiver and gulp. And sure enough the shame words come, floating like cartoon bubbles around my head:
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