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Reviewed by: Anna Bayerl, Junior High School Librarian Title: A Perfect Mistake Author: Melanie Conklin Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Year: 2022 Good for Grades: 4-7 Genre/Type of Book: Mystery
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: Deals with a boy with ADHD Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I wanted to read a mystery, and after reading the review in SLJ and the book jacket it sounded like a mystery on several levels. If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: Max is a character you can't help but cheer for!
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Review:
Max is struggling with his ADHD, a new diagnosis, and all the strategies his therapist is teaching him to overcome it. He is also trying to deal with his four inch growth spurt which not only makes him the tallest in his 6th grade class, but causes others, especially adults, to treat him like he is an older student (they forget he is just a ten-year-old). Luckily, Max has two good friends, Joey and Will, at least they are good friends until a horrible accident occurs leaving Will in a coma in the hospital and Joey refusing to speak to Max. While all of this is going on, a long lost uncle appears at their house one day in a beat-up van. It's his mother's younger brother and she is clearly not happy to see him. However, both Max and his father are drawn to Cal, Max's uncle. With the help of several adults in his life, especially Uncle Cal, and a new friend named Samantha, Max learns to accept himself just the way he is.
Max is such a likeable character. A good-hearted young boy who tries very hard to control his impulses and focus on the task at hand. The adults are depicted as complex human beings who are good people who sometimes make mistakes, and that too is something Max comes to understand. The mystery itself keeps the reading engaged and trying to discover the truth along with Max. The story includes themes of friendship, and what it means to be a good friend; and perseverance, and the value of not giving up. The cover itself is interesting and a good discussion starter to predict what the mystery may be about. Students who have ADHD, or know of someone who has it, would be the first I would hand this book to since it gives the reader a good feel for what the student with ADHD is going through.
The author's website https://www.melanieconklin.com/book/a-perfect-mistake/ includes links to: a book trailer, NetGalley book reviews, a booktalk of the title by the author, an educator's guide to download, and a review from the Washington Post.
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Find resources for A Perfect Mistake at Teachingbooks.net
For more information about this book, see the Publishers Website
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