Well, there are just so many good new books in our library and I keep finding new favorites. Today, my new favorite is Insignificant Events in the life of a Cactus, by Dusti Bowling. This is the story of a 13 year old armless girl named Aven whose life is turned upside down when her father accepts a job as park manager of a dying amusement park, moving his family from Kansas to Arizona. Aven leaves behind her lifelong friends and a community where she didn't have to explain her armlessness and everyone knew that she ate with her feet, and finds herself surrounded by stares and giggles and whispers. She quickly discovers that she is not the only one who feels different and alone at school and soon she has a couple of lunch buddies. With her new friends by her side, Aven unravels a mystery about her past and discovers a connection to the amusement park that she begins to fall in love with.
I loved this book because Aven was such a fun character to spend time with. She has a positive outlook on life and enjoys teasing people with crazy stories about how she lost her arms ("I was born this way" is so boring!) She's clever and funny and helps her friends come out of their shells. Even though it's not an action packed book, I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know how the story would resolve for Aven and it was immensely satisfying.
I loved this book because Aven was such a fun character to spend time with. She has a positive outlook on life and enjoys teasing people with crazy stories about how she lost her arms ("I was born this way" is so boring!) She's clever and funny and helps her friends come out of their shells. Even though it's not an action packed book, I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know how the story would resolve for Aven and it was immensely satisfying.