Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately I have been unable to get into it. DNF @ 43%.

I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn to this book by the cover art and title. This book geared to middle graders is a great chapter book. It talks about the problem with hoarding, which not all kids are aware of. It also deals with friendships . An awesome read with great characters.

I think 10-13 years olds will enjoy this and probably relate to it. Those years of change from childhood to adult are confusing and difficult, best friends sometimes drift as buds don't mature at the same time. Then there's aging adults- what is going on with grandmas and grandpas? Other elderly relatives? Life becomes so much more complicated.I loved the closeness of Shayne and her grandma and worried about grandma's sudden hoarding. Shayne still wants the friendship she had with her BFF Poppy, but Poppy is growing up and no longer interesting in things she and Shayne shared the summer before- this summer it's all about the boys! Shayne doesn't understand what is going on with the folks around her, much like the students who this book will appeal to. The stories characters are well written and realistic, the reader will care about them and what happens to them. The setting and plot are all well done and will draw the reader in as it did me. It's a quick, easy read I am sure will find many fans.

I was concerned that this was going to be a "demand that the hoarder clean up for my sake" sort of story, where an emotional confrontation is all it takes for the behavior to change. I was glad to see Greenberg acknowledge hoarding as more complex. I liked, too, the acknowledgement that long term friendships change as we age, sometimes to a point that they can't be repaired. It frustrates me that the catalyst for this change in middle grade books is almost always the friend becoming "boy-crazy", Also, I feel like with the sheer number of complications in this book, none of the issues get the level of exploration they are due.

Shayne always goes to visit her grandmother in Maine for the summers. She enjoys spending time with her friend Poppy, collecting sea glass, swimming, and more. But things are different this summer. Her grandmother has always been a collector but since the death of her grandfather it seems worse. They jokingly call the pile in the living room "junk mountain" but it really is not a joke - and Shayne notices more stuff everywhere. And even though Shayne is supposed to be helping her grandmother organize and get rid of things, her grandmother keeps finding excuses and even gets angry with her. In addition, Poppy has changed and doesn't seem to have time for her now that she is into makeup, boys, etc. The one bright spot is Linc who is staying next door with his grandfather. For all his quirky Civil War reenacting he really is turning into a good friend.
Can Shayne help her grandmother conquer Junk Mountain?

Lauren Abbey Greenberg does a great job of dealing with the hoarding illness in this new novel, "The Battle of Junk Mountain." Shayne goes to visit her grandmother on the Maine coast for the summer to have fun and help Bea get ready to sell a bunch of her stuff. When she arrives in Thomas Cove, Shayne realizes that her grandmother's problem is WAY bigger than she imagined and she has a whole host of other struggles to deal with. The values of family, friendship, support and change are all dealt with throughout the plot. When I got to the end of the book, I could already see myself spending more time with Shayne, Bea, Cranky, Poppy and Linc. Hoping to see more Thomas Cove adventures in the future.

The Battle of Junk Mountain
by Lauren Abbey Greenberg
Perseus Books, Running Press

Running Press Kids
Children's Fiction
Pub Date 17 Apr 2018


I am reviewing a copy of The Battle of Junk Mountain through Running Press Kids and Netgalley;



Shayne Whittaker has spent Summers on the Maine coast, visiting her Grandmother Bea and playing with her BFF Poppy. Both Grandmother and Granddaughter are collectors in their own way. Shayne loves the memories of seeking for sea glass and weaving friendship bracelets with Poppy, while Bea searches flea markets for valuable finds, which she often adds to a growing pile in her house that Shayne jokingly named Junk Mountain.


This Summer things have changed Poppy would rather talk about boys instead of bracelets. And Bea's collecting has turned into hoarding. The only one who pays attention to her is Linc, the strange Civil War obsessed kid next door.


What begins as the worst summer of Shayne's life may quickly become the most memorable!


I give The Battle of Junk Mountain five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Debut author Lauren Abbey Greenberg has written a book that will be perfect for summertime reading, while still dealing with a serious topic like hoarding. This is the first book I've read that touches on this subject in middle grade fiction, and I'm happy to see some attention focused on it for younger readers.

Shayne spends each summer in Maine with her grandmother, Bea, but this summer isn't turning out so well. Her best friend, Poppy, is busy working at her family's store. Her grandmother, Bea, has gone back to work as a waitress at a local restaurant, and Shayne's first shift working there is a bit of a fiasco. And Bea's collecting habit has gotten a bit out of control, and any attempts to help her deal with the clutter end in disaster. Shayne is struggling with all the change, but in the middle of what she thinks might be the worst summer ever, she befriends Linc, the grandson of her next door neighbor, Cranky. Shayne's summer is definitely not the way she planned it, but it just might end up being what she needs to help her adapt to everything that's different in her life.

What I enjoyed best about this book was watching Shayne grow during that difficult time in adolescence when the world changes, even if you're not ready for it. Poppy has different interests, and their friendship is pushed in a new direction. Shayne is faced with Bea's hoarding problem, and the financial burden that she's facing as a result. She gets her first summer job, and has responsibilities this summer that she's never faced in the carefree years of the past. It's a summer of big change, and the author has captured this so well.

I will definitely be purchasing this for my library, and promoting it as one of the middle grade books to read this summer.

E ARC from Netgalley.com



Shayne loves to spend summers in Maine with her grandmother, even though it hasn't been quite the same since her grandfather passed away. This summer, things aren't going the way she wants them too-- her mother is staying home to work, and her best friend Poppy has to help out with the family business. Even Shayne's grandmother has gone back to work, waitressing at a local restaurant, and Shayne is supposed to help out there as well. When she proves less than helpful, she returns to her mother's idea of helping her grandmother ready things for a local rummage sale to help supplement her meager income. With Poppy unavailable, Shayne makes friends with the quirky Linc, the grandson of her grandmother's cranky neighbor. Linc is very interseted in war enactments, and may be able to help Shayne find something in her grandmother's "junk mountain" that will be worth money. Even though she really wants to help, Shayne can only do so much, and eventually has to bring in adult reinforcements to help.

Strengths: This is the third book I've seen on hoarding in the last two years (Family Game Night and Other Catastrophes, Smart Cookie), but it is interesting and realistically done. I even bought that Shayne's mother would have sent her on her own. Shayne is hopeful that she can help, and works really hard to try to assist her grandmother. It doesn't hurt that the book is set in the summer in a Maine vacation town.
Weaknesses: I wish the neighbor hadn't been so cranky.
What I really think: This had a good combination of summer, problems, and hopefulness that will make it popular. Definitely will purchase.

Are you looking for a great book for your middle-grade reader to read during summer vacation? Look no further. THE BATTLE OF JUNK MOUNTAIN is the absolutely perfect read for summer (and for any other time of year).

HINT --- You might want to buy two copies because you will enjoy this book just as much as your child!!!

Twelve year old Shayne (yes, it sounds like a boy's name, but it's not) is spending the summer in her favorite place on the planet ... on the coast of Maine at her grandmother's house, which sits directly on the water.

She had been looking forward to spending time with her "Summer-Sister" Poppy, making friendship bracelets, collecting sea glass and hanging out at the beach.

But, from the moment Shayne arrives, things start going wrong. Poppy has a job at her family's grocery store and can spend barely any time with her. And, when they finally do get a chance to hang out, all Poppy wants to talk about is boys. YUCK!

Shayne's grandmother, Bea, is a compulsive garage sale shopper and her house is full of knick knacks and signs and just about anything you can imagine. Shayne has been sent by her mother to help Grandma Bea get organized to sell it all at the local flea market.

To make matters even more complicated, Bea has a new next door neighbor; one who never smiles and always seems to be angry at something or someone - Shayne secretly nicknames him "Cranky."

To add to this bizarre, but somehow perfect, mix of people, Cranky's grandson, Linc, arrives. Linc is around the same age as Shayne and is a bit ... Odd. He is obsessed with the Civil War and in reenactments. He even wears a Civil War outfit and cap EVERY SINGLE DAY.

He may dress a little strangely (ok, well, it's actually A LOT strange, especially for at the beach) but he has a great heart and Linc and Shayne become something similar to friends.

The story has multiple twists and turns and has more than one mystery, all of which Shayne somehow ends up in the middle of each one.

A tale of growing up and of beginning to learn there is more to a person than meets the eye and that judging someone by what they look like, or the clothes they wear is NOT right, and usually ends up being inaccurate.

Shayne also learns about friendship and what makes a true friend. Hoarding is also discussed, as is aging, financial hardships, and the lives and livelihoods of fishermen. It is incredible how much knowledge this book contains. The middle grade reader will not realize it, but as they read, they are learning many valuable lessons. Actually, these lessons are also great for older readers to take in as well. They may already know many of the facts, but it is never a bad thing to remind adult readers of the morals this story imparts.

Highly readable, incredibly fun, with compelling characters, THE BATTLE OF JUNK MOUNTAIN is a middle grade Must Read. For that reason I have to rate this superb book as 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐