Jeff Pennant’s Field Guide to Raising Happy Parents

by Kelli McKinney

This was such a fun read! At times hilarious, at times serious, Kelli McKinny’s book is a delightful romp through some of the worst phases of pre-teen growing pains.

Jeff is an endearing, irrepressibly optimistic kid. When his relationship with his best friends is threatened because of his parents’ frequent grounding punishments, Jeff rebounds by beginning a “scientific” study of what makes his parents happy. He creates a happy-face “visual guide” much like the one seen in a doctor’s office. But Jeff’s faces are much more expressive, with labels such as Guaranteed Grounding, Steer Clear, and Proceed with Extreme Caution. Using his guide, he evaluates the results of his various actions to make his parents happy (spoiler: most of them backfire horrendously!). But ultimately, Jeff’s “Field Guide” leads to fruitful revelations for both himself and his parents.

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Perfect by Kiri Jorgenson

A perfectly wonderful read.

Sixth grade Sal has her OCD perfectly under control at school. The key is to make herself invisible, someone who cares about no one and whom no one cares about. If some deviance from the regular order of things appears, she can control her reaction by squeezing the little wooden block she always keeps in her pocket. She can steady her breathing and heartbeat. She can count steps or objects; counting helps steady her. Jorgensen does a great job of portraying Sal, without making her someone to be pitied or who requires special treatment.

But when her science teacher shows photos of snowflakes to the class, Sal is immediately and irrevocably hooked. Her desire to learn more about the practically perfect crystals means she must join the school’s Weather Club and interact with its members– radical deviations from her routine and the safety of invisibility. Jorgensen deftly handles her character’s progress along that sometimes turbulent path. Sal becomes stronger and more confident throughout that journey. She even manages to channel her OCD affinity for patterns into a way to trap the thief who has been stealing student phones and the school’s electrical equipment.

Without a doubt, Perfect is an affirmative book for youngsters with OCD or those who are differently abled. It is also a wonderful book to help middle grade students learn the value of people who think or act differently from themselves.