A book to read with your kids. A boy gets kind of lost after he loses his hockey spot, but we watch mysteries unfold around him.

An interesting story with a bit of mystery thrown in. I really liked Hudson and think that kids in grades 5+ would enjoy this book.

The author does an amazing job at capturing the voice and concerns of a 7th-grade kid. The realities of life, growing and parents are all echoed just how I remembered them in middle school. This book covers topics such as drug use, bullying, lying; but they are dealt with in a way that doesn't glorify the activities and opens the door to greater discussions. 

The tone of the book was upbeat, and the storyline was nicely paced. 

Overall this is a wonderful middle grades book, especially for those children looking for ways to find their tribe during these awkward years. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

This plot felt vaguely familiar, I think because genetic disorders and the effect their possible diagnosis has on the lives of young people is a timely topic. This one falls into the "good, not great" category. I liked the exploration of disappointment, of how biology can wreak havoc on our dreams. But I felt like it fell victim to some extremes. Some plot elements were over explored, given far too much real estate, while others were undervalued.

Hudson Pickle is a teenage boy struggling with growing up; he has a growth spurt that no only has him towering over his friends, it gets him cut from the hockey team, his favorite sport and the one thing that he thinks identifies him. He also has no idea who his father is and while it might not have been an issue in years past, it is becoming more and more important to him to know who he was and what he was like. His mom wants to protect him from the realities of life and Hudson feels like he is old enough to have his questions answered. He is not a little kid and resents being treated like one. (Despite the friction between Hudson and his mother, it does not create a rift between them that cannot be bridged).
Ridge does a really good job of writing in the voice of a seventh grade boy who is trying to figure out who he is, friendships that change, his mom and girls. There is of course the bully that Hudson and his friend Trevor must deal with and I really like how Ridge shows the duo dealing with him and realizing that he is not someone to fear and how they stand up for themselves.
The ending was pretty good: Hudson finds a new sport to love and has repaired his friendship with his best friend, and yet, it felt like there is more to Hudson's story.

This is definitely a book that I would let my son read: drug use, bullying, lying are dealt with in the book but done in a way that one, doesn't glorify the activities and two, opens the door to discussions on these issues that teens today are facing. Talking about them through a fictional character is one of the best ways to broach the subject in a way that is safe and allows them to open up in a way that is less threatening than talking about real-life people they know.

Not my style and I was not able to fully commit to this book at all. I did love the artwork, though.

What a great book! I can't wait to let my son read this! Hudson Pickle will be with me for time to come!

This will be posted on my blog on 8 September 2017.

When Hudson's Uncle Vic's apartment catches on fire, it sets a lot of things into motion. Vic moves in with Hudson and his mother, which makes things crowded and leads to lots of vegan dinners. Hudson is not playing hockey because he has gotten too tall, and he is trying out for the school basketball team. So is Trevor, his best friend who is not talking to him because Hudson blew off Trevor's martial arts competition, and Willow, a girl whom Hudson finds interesting. For his career exploration class, Hudson has agreed to research firefighters, and gets an opportunity to talk to the fireman in charge of the investigation of Vic's fire. Unfortunately, it looks very suspicious, and Vic's health problems are, too. Hudson starts to wonder-- could his uncle be into drugs? And what about his father, whom his mother refuses to mention. Are drugs the reason why? As try outs start in earnest, Hudson finds himself having more and more troubles with his "childhood asthma" which he has always hoped would go away. Are his breathing difficulties related to his uncle's or his infant brother's, who died when Hudson when 2? Will his asthma keep him from being on the basketball team, or from being a firefighter when he grows up? Since he's irritated by his medical concerns as well as his mother, who is conscientiously overbearing, Hudson has trouble smoothing things over with Trevor, and starting things with Willow, who seems to like him. Middle school is tough enough, and Hudson needs to find a way to deal with his family problems and keep on top of things at school.
Strengths: There were several interesting topics covered in this book, but they were presented in an intriguing fashion and written about in an engaging way. The book starts with the fire, and I loved that while Hudson knew full well that it was A Bad Thing, he couldn't help but be excited about his uncle moving in with him! The interactions with Willow were perfect-- embarrassing, but completely understandable. I found myself really interested in Hudson's medical problems, probably even more than I was about his father. The tone of this was generally upbeat, but in a typical irritated, middle school way. Working in both hockey and basketball is inspired. I enjoyed this a lot, and think the cover is great as well.
Weaknesses: I found it hard to believe that Hudson's mother would have told him NO information about his father.
What I really think: Definitely look forward to more books by this author. Since she's Canadian, I'll definitely hope for a good middle grade book about a boy playing hockey. I need more than the Sigmund Brower titles!