GREAT REVIEW FOR THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY FROM BCCB

Woo-hoo!  This just came from my editor at Penguin.  Couldn't wait to share this review from THE BULLETIN FOR THE CENTER OF CHILDREN'S BOOK STUDIES:

Auggie Jones desperately wants to discover her shine, because it seems like everybody she knows has a talent: her best friend, Lexie, creates striking hairstyles, neighbor Irma Jean alters rags into stylish clothing, and classmate Weird Harold has a remarkable aptitude for facts and figures. Starting at Dickerson Elementary after her old school closes gives Auggie—named for the grandfather who takes care of her—the perfect chance to discover her own hidden talents. Soon, though, Lexie falls under the spell of resident mean girl Victoria, who makes no attempt to disguise her disdain for Auggie’s masculine name, her grandfather Gus’ work (trash hauling), or Serendipity Place, the neighborhood Auggie has called home all her life. When Victoria and her father, the head of the town’s newly formed House Beautification Committee, target Serendipity Place, residents scurry to meet their requirements as best they can. Determined to save her home, Auggie finds inspiration in the trash hauled by Grampa Gus and in items donated by neighbors, and soon pottery shards, vivid glass, and metal sculptures transform the house’s exterior into a vibrant expression of the love within its walls. In Auggie, Schindler creates a spunky, sympathetic character young readers will engage with and enjoy. Though the voice and even elements of the plot are derivative of DiCamillo’s Because of Winn Dixie, the lively narration is enjoyable, and the diverse cast of characters (Auggie herself is African American, though many in her neighborhood are white) brings meaningful messages of community and self-respect to the fore. Some readers may wish Schindler had provided more detailed descriptions of the sculptures, but aspiring artists and anyone else looking for their shine will appreciate this satisfying portrait of a young girl and her close-knit community.