You know how the old saying goes….If life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. But what if life gives you O.J.? On June 14th, the highly anticipated middle grade chapter book, When Life Gives You O.J. by Erica S. Perl was released!
Depending on your child, the phrase “summer reading” can bring about two responses — an enthusiastic “yes!” or a dejected “do I have to?”. When Life Gives You O.J. is a book that all kids (girls AND boys!) ages 8-12 will want to take with them this summer on that long drive or plane ride or have included in their summer camp care package. Believable characters, a hefty dose of humor and a fast-paced, age-appropriate storyline makes O.J. a winner with both kids & their parents.
Our Take: The charming story of ten-year-old Zelly Fried and her quest to own a dog has delivered a heart warming relation of Zelly’s struggles while moving with her family from Brooklyn to Vermont after loosing her Grandmother to cancer. In an attempt to be like everyone else in Vermont, Zelly decides that she has to have a dog. Zelly’s parents don’t think she is ready for that commitment but her grandfather Ace hatches a crazy plan that includes a practice dog made of an old jug of orange juice to convince them otherwise. As Zelly, Ace and OJ (the dog) struggle to find their way we learn that some of our most precious memories come from the least likely places. This insightful and hilarious story weaves the typical coming of age morals in a contemporary setting with a delightful cast of characters that is sure to entertain young and old alike.
Keep your eye out — the sequel to OJ — Aces Wild — is due out September 2012!
To check out the the clever, and laugh-out-loud book trailer for When Life Gives You O.J., please follow this link: http://ericaperl.squarespace.com/oj-videos/. Other links that may be of interest to your readers is Erica’s blog: http://ericaperl.squarespace.com/imported-20100131174515/ and her Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/erica.perl?sk=wall.
We were sent book for review..
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