This was such a cute book and I think it will appeal to many readers - both city kids and country kids alike! It was such a treat to get to know the main character Becket and follow her new adventures. She remained positive even as she encountered so many new situations. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

The Becket List is the first book in The Blackberry Farm series and it follows the lives of the Branch family, focusing on Rebecca, now known as Becket. The Branch family move from the city to the farm to help out their Gran look after the farm and it’s animals. As they are leaving the city, Becket says ‘Goodbye!’ to everything that she knows she will miss from the city, and loves to yell ‘Beautiful Alert’ about anything that she thinks is beautiful. However, her other siblings, Caroline (older sister) and Nicholas (twin brother) aren’t as ready to move to the country for farm life. Farm life throws unexpected events at Becket but she pushes back and learns how to fight for things that she wants and to stay positive no matter what.

Once moved into the farm, Becket takes on the role of looking after the farm animals to help out Gran. However, she comes in contact with some hostile hens that Becket has to learn how to deal with to retrieve their eggs and look after them. To make some extra pocket money, Becket comes up with the idea to use their lemons to make fresh lemonade. However, this idea majorly backfires and Becket learns a valuable lesson. Becket makes a list of activities and things she wants to do whilst she is new to the farm life, and one of these things is making a new best friend. She meets her neighbour Frieda who has the cutest little puppy and Becket decides that Frieda is going to be her new best friend.

Becket is such a wonderfully written character. She was so upbeat even when things weren’t going right for her – which is such an important thing for kids to read about, as it’s such an important life lesson. Becket learns that sometimes the things that worked for her in the city don’t always relate and end up working in the country, such as the way she acts and goes about making friends at camp. However, whenever she gets knocked down, she bounces back with even more enthusiasm, which I didn’t think it was possible because Becket is such an enthusiastic, joyful character.

Although there is a major difference between Becket and her siblings, I loved that there was that contrast. Both Nicholas and Caroline struggle with the transition from city life to country life, but Becket is always trying her best to help them adapt to this change. I truly loved the complete contrast between the twins and how polar opposites they were.

I think the way that this book was written is so upbeat and is so beautifully aimed at the younger audience, but in saying that, older audiences can definitely get enjoyment out of this book, as I sure did. The ending is definitely a harder and heavier topic, which was quite sad, but I think it’s also important in children’s books to a certain extent (for older children).

Thank you very much to the Algonquin Young Readers for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review and allowing me to participate in the blog tour.

The Becket List
By Adele Griffin

The Becket List is a fantastic story about loss, change and friendships. I love Becket Branch's character and how enthusiastic she is about changes in their life. Becket is a great character and I do love reading this voice from her perspective. This is a fantastic middle grade book that is so fun and an easy read, that teaches amazing life lessons.

The book also had beautiful illustrations that help tie in the story.

This heartwarming book is an amazing read that will be a great addition to your library.

In this first Blackberry Farm story, the Branch family are moving from the city to the countryside, and lively, outgoing Becket Branch is coping far better with the change than her twin brother, Nicholas, and their older sister, Caroline. Or at least, she is until she discovers that not everyone is as enthusiastically all-in as she is, and that things don’t always go according to plan… even if you have a list!

Becket is an endearing main character and narrative voice. She is super positive and well-meaning, and has a sunny, bright attitude to life that is joyously infectious. It is also easy to see how she could get annoying at times… she is very LOUD!

This is a lovely middle-grade story about settling in, making new friends, and learning to appreciate the ones you already have. It is very easy to read and ideal for readers who enjoy stories like Enid Blyton’s, all about children having gentle, countryside adventures with little adult interference (although the Branch parents are far more responsible and involved than any in Blyton’s books!).

Minishine’s thoughts: This book is defo FIVE STARS! Caroline is my favourite character and I like how she acts, and how Nicholas acts, and I like how Becket is so loud and also that she loves animals. It’s about a girl who used to live in the city and then they all move to the country, like in my favourite Faraway Tree books! She finds it easy at first but then she has to be brave because change is HARD. Mr Fancypants is a funny name for a dog and I like how they describe him, even though he’s not like our dog, Murphy. I love all the pictures on every page, but I do wish they could all be in colour, like the front cover, because the book suits lots of bright colours… BEAUTIFUL ALERT!!!

Babybows’ thoughts: Ten thumbs up for the whole book! I mean, one hundred! Nobody is my favourite character because I like them all. I like all the pictures too and I like the story. I wish I had hammies and hamblings!



‘I hadn’t put “Find a New Best Friend” on my list—and now here she is, Frieda Franca, with her own alpacas and bouncy dog. I wish Mr Fancypants had a little more bounce for a play date with “Beautiful Alert” Oro. Then again, Frieda’s been a country kid for longer than me. Of course she’d already have the perfect dog. It doesn’t make sense to be jealous.
Except maybe I am, a little.’

– Adele Griffin, The Becket List


Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

This book was a really good look into a young girls life as she works through moving. Becket and her family move from the big city to a little farm town. In the city she is popular but here, her brother becomes the more popular one. I loved getting to see all the changes the family goes through as they all try to adjust and adapt to a new place.

This is such a cute, fun, and quirky story. I love it so much. You can never really go wrong with childrens and middle-grade books.

The Becket is literally a list by Becket, aka Rebecca, about the things she wants to accomplish in her first summer on her grandmother's farm. Becket is a city girl but she's excited to have a new life on the farm, but no change is easy. This is a story of a girl, of growing up and adapting to new places.

But Becket handled her new life like a pro. Yes, like a pro because I hope I'm like her when thrown in such a situation. She says "Beautiful Alert" every time she sees a beautiful thing that she wants to share with the people around her. That's just so cute and wholesome and so enthusiastic.

All the characters are very well-rounded, not just Becket. The plot is also quite heartwarming and insightful. So I think grown-ups will love this book as well. I mean I'm 29 and I really enjoyed this book.

3 "Beautiful-Alert" stars!

This cute middle grade tale was filled with heart and an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

Characters: ★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★
Positive Messaging: ★★★★

Becket, formerly known as Rebecca, is having quite the summer. Her family is moving from the New York City city suburbs into the wilds of the country in order to live on Becket's grandma's farm, Blackberry Farm.

Becket is READY for this new adventure. Her twin and older sister are NOT.

When Becket discovers that farm life includes new responsibilities and new summer camps and new social situations, she quickly sees that things here are going to be very different than in New York City. What will she do, and what's going to happen?

I thought this was a cute, short middle grade novel tailored to very young readers looking for a fun and heartwarming adventure. The positive messages were great—dealing with change, honesty versus personal gain, loss, and more—and I thoroughly enjoyed reading Becket's fun adventures.

Give this a go if you have a young one at home!

Thank you so much to Algonquin for Young Readers for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was asked to review this book when it first came out and we instantly fell in love with it. Readers meet the Branch family as they transition from city living to farm life with the parents move their veterinary practice to Blackberry Farm. Rebecca, who later changes her name to Becket, for a fresh start is the main point of view and we travel along with her through the emotions of moving and finding new friends, new routines, and the struggles that come with changes between siblings. My children instantly felt connected to the Branch family as we are a military family and move a lot so we've experienced all of these emotions and could put ourselves in their shoes. We also really enjoyed the illustrations and feel like they made the story truly come to life.

Thank you again, Adele Griffin and Netgalley and Algonquin Young Readers, for the opportunity to review this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: This was a nice first book in a early Middle Grade series that I think will appeal to many! And I really liked the illustrations in the book (I think more books should be illustrated!). Overall, I would definitely recommend trying this series!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

I was approached about reviewing the second book in this series (All Pets Allowed) and the publisher offered to send this first book as well as the second, since I hadn't read it yet. My 8 year old daughter was a perfect audience for the series, and I shared both books with her.

The writing is accessible and engaging, with great explorations of family dynamics, growing up, and being true to yourself couched in antics and adventures that are perfectly age appropriate. She found them fun; I agreed, and also found them a great way to open up some conversations (we like to partner-read chapter books at night before bed). Griffin has done a lovely job establishing a spunky heroine who is a great role model for the challenges of growing up and feeling comfortable in your own skin. The books were a great find!

This is a wonderful start to a new book for children age 7-11. This would also be wonderful for parents to read to their children. I love Becket and her twin brother and their older sister Caroline. These children move from the city to a farm and have adventures during the summer as they meet other children. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I received a copy of this book from Algonquin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers for the opportunity to read The Becket List before the upcoming release of the sequel All Pets Allowed!

This was such a cute middle grade / children's story!

The main character was cheerful and upbeat (even when unpleasant things happened to her). I really enjoyed that she embraced what made her different and strived to be anything but ordinary. I think that is an important message to be received by those who are younger reading this book.

I also really enjoyed the writing style of the author! I thought it was good for the targeted audience but still resonated with those above it as well.

Something I thought was tastefully added, even though it was quite sad, was the ending of the book. When I was younger, I had to go through the same thing as the main character at a similar age. It was one of the hardest things I had to go through back then and it really shows strength in the main character. I applaud the author for making what could be a controversial move.

There was one comment about a size of a boy in the book that kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Something along the lines of him being XXL from head to toe. I get that is a way to describe that he is a bigger kid, but I think this could be written in a more tasteful way that doesn't sound so crude.

Other than that, I did enjoy this book! And would recommend for the targeted audience!

This is a great story for young readers. The characters are fun and relatable, and the storyline helps teach about responsibility, pets, and change as Becket's family moves from the city to the country. It's also a story about giving back in many ways.

I found The Becket List delightful: Rebecca (who prefers to be called Becket) isn't sold when her family decides to trade life in the city for life on Blackberry Farm, but she's determined to channel her true Becket style and make the best of it. Of course, for Becket, making the best of it means throwing herself all in to country life, and her enthusiasm and insistence of focusing on the positive sometimes make her adjustment a little harder. Becket, though, is delightful, and her family is lots of fun to hang out with. I see this as a modern take on classics like Understood Betsy or The Secret Garden, where life in the great outdoors helps kids find their best selves, and like those classics, this makes a charming readaloud. It's a simple, often predicable story, but that's part of its charm. We loved it.

What a fun book to read. Leaving the world you know and moving into the unknown can be as fun as you want it to me. Loved getting to read this one.
Thanks netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy.

This is a great story about growing up and life changes.

Becket goes through many changes in this book. At the beginning, her family moves to her grandmother’s farm. She has to adjust from city life in an apartment to country life on a farm. She also goes to a camp, but it is very different from the camp she used to go to in the city. She doesn’t make friends as easily as she did before. I loved that Becket had to deal with all of these changes in this book, because often kids books just focus on one kind of life change rather than many different ones.

I loved the pictures in the book. There were some at the beginning, but they tapered off towards the end. I had an ARC so this may have changed in the final edition, but I would have loved to have even more pictures because they were so great!

The one thing I didn’t like about this book was the ending. I won’t spoil it, but something happens to one of the animals. It was upsetting to me, because I could relate to it, which made it difficult to read. Things happen to animals as part of life on a farm, so I understand why it was in the story. However, I don’t like reading about things that happen to animals, so it is a personal preference.

I really liked this story. It’s great for middle grade readers.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4 1/2 stars

Rebecca Branch and her family are moving to the country, which calls for a new name so Rebecca becomes Becket. Becket is sure she will love living in the country even if her older sister, Caroline, and twin brother, Nicholas, aren’t so sure.

Becket discovers that in some ways the move is not what she expected and in other ways, it’s better. She’s resilient and goes with the flow.

I found The Becket List by Adele Griffin to be very realistic, with Becket’s sometimes noisy brashness right on the mark. I loved how kind and gentle she was with the animals she encountered, learning that her active noise must be toned down, and how she intuited the right way to behave in different circumstances. She’s very honest with everyone.

The story brought about a lot of smiles and even some tears, especially at the end. Becket’s penchant for calling “Beautiful Alert” every time she encounters something special is a wonderful thing.

And the illustrations are so cute!

I highly recommend The Becket List, which is appropriate for Middle Grade readers.

I received an ARC from Algonquin Young Readers and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Today is publication day for The Becket List by Adele Griffin. This is a Young Readers book that I received in exchange for my review. This is not the age level of book that you might to expect to find here but you might have a young reader in your life who is looking for a book.

Becket Branch and her family are making a big move. They are moving from the city to a farm out in the country. Becket is embracing country life with both hands. She is a very enthusiastic little girl who is sure that she will fit right in. She finds it is harder than she thought but she learns to make some adjustments. She makes mistakes but learns from them. Whether it is taking care of animals or making new friends, Beckett jumps in with both feet. She learns things about living in the country and how to make friends.



It is a nice story for a young reader. The book is rated for ages 7 – 11. I found that it is important to get a book for a young reader that they can relate to. I think that with this story, they will find many things that they will recognize.

Thanks for reading!

"Beautiful Alert!", Becket is going to steal your heart.

Becket was more than ready to start her new life in the country. She even had a list to help her become an official country kid. So, Becket was ready for the country, but was the country ready for Becket?

It was love at first page! Becket had such a wonderful voice, and I adore all her energy and enthusiasm. I swear, the kid should be a motivational speaker, because her zest for all things was contagious. Though Becket was excited about all the new things she was going to experience, her confidence waned a little, here and there, as she adjusted. But, I was rooting for her the whole time, because she was so fabulous, fantastic, and spunky.

Since Becket was (almost) 10, we spent a lot of time with her family. We got to peek in on their daily interactions, and what a lovely family they were. I especially loved Gram. She was warm and wonderful and filled that soft spot I have in my heart for grandma's.

When I was 13, my family moved from Brooklyn to a 1-square mile town in NJ. Though it wasn't as "country" as Becket's new home, it was a big change from my former home. I really related to the the adjustments Becket had to make, and also really loved the look into what it's like to live on a farm. We saw the awesome and ugly sides of it, but this all tied into the overall theme of this book, which was about embracing change and adapting when necessary.

I definitely smile a LOT as I read this book. I did wonder why so many people were trying to stifle Becket's enthusiasm by telling her to quiet down all the time, and I won't even mention what happened in the last chapter, because I have already cried a smile river about it, but overall this was fun and wonderful book, where I got to take an adventure with an enchanting character as she embraced and adjusted to her new normal.

Great middle grade fiction story. I have many students who will love this book. The characters are easy to relate to...