Book Review: Piper Reed: Navy Brat

This was another book that I picked up from the library to listen to in the car when my kids are with me. I'm guessing this is a book I would have enjoyed more if I had read it, instead of listening to it. It will definitely become a chapter book series (I think the author has already written two and the third is in the works). Kimberly Holt Willis is an award winning writer and her writing in this book was fine and colorful, with good character development. I guess for me, it kind of felt too formulaic. It reminded me of the Junie B. Jones books.

Piper Reed is the middle daughter, wedged between an older teenage sister and a kindergarten prodigy. Since her father is in the Navy, the family moves a lot. I selected this book because I moved plenty while growing up. Piper is a spunky girl and she will certainly get a following (a great book to suggest to a girl who is a middle child or is moving).

Perhaps, the book didn't appeal to me as much as I expected because it is in the 7-12 range and I tend more towards books in the 10-17 range - I don't know. I would recommend it to my sister's daughter, since they move a lot, but at 11, she's probably a bit too old for it, too. My MS enjoyed listening to it (the bits about getting a dog, a doorbell which played Yankee Doodle). I looked at another review of this book and they raved about the illustrations, so I'm really wishing I had read it instead of listening, this time.