I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If there's one thing I know for sure, Erin Entrada Kelly knows how to write a story. I loved all of the kids from Fawn Creek - with the exception of the one who moved. I absolutely adored Orchid, Grayson, and Didi. This book had fantastic lessons about being yourself, standing up for yourself and your friends, and how important it is to always be kind.

I was thrilled to get my hands on an ARC of Erin Entrada Kelly's latest middle grade novel in anticipation of adding it to our elementary school library. I've loved other books she's written and my students have, too. I have no doubt many of my upper elementary students will love Those Kids from Fawn Creek as well! I feel like everyone can relate to someone in the cast of characters in some way, and being able to read their stories from multiple perspectives can only help kids open their eyes to the reality of different life experiences shaping different perspectives. This wasn't a flashy adventure novel, or overtly humorous, the only mystery was in the form of intrigue about a new girl in small town. There was no genre gimmick here. This is solidly realistic fiction in the most honest, relatable, and thought-provoking way. I loved each of the characters for their strengths AND their real-life flaws. I loved Didi's "red dread", and the fact that she found someone else who shared her proclivity toward blushing. I loved Greyson's creativity and eventual outward expression of it. I loved Orchid and her larger-than-life persona and the way she shook things up in Fawn Creek, despite being a kid just like the rest of them. I loved the God Squad's commitment to one another and to their faith. I even loved reading about the ones I would likely refer to as the "mean girls" and reading experiences from their perspective, including their insecurities, their justifications and/or remorse for their behaviors. (And I kind of loved to hate Renni - I'll admit it.) Kelly wrote each character so individually, it was simply wonderful to get to know each of them!

Highly recommend this middle grade novel with a lovely small-town setting, packed with thought-provoking situations and choices, relatable and (mostly) likeable characters, and wonderful dialog and relationships. I feel like this is a perfect recommendation for fans of books like Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, but an even better option for a slightly younger crowd.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cannot keep this book in the library! It is being passed from child to child, with many begging to be bumped up to read next. Fantastic and relatable story about a group of kids and the everyday struggles of home and school. Love that it tackles bullying and standing up for what's right.

Erin Entrada Kelly does it again, with the perfect mix of adolescent trials, traumas, and friendship as Fawn Creek navigates the arrival of Orchid, the new kid who is different from anyone they have met before. The ripple effects will continue spiraling outward, long past the end of the book. Highly recommend.

One of the best stories to bring into kids lives! A great way to show TRUE middle school life. Set in a small town, told in multiple POV, once you start learning about these kiddos, you’ll never want
To leave.

This was a story about true friendship, embracing yourself, and looking towards the future. Erin Entrada Kelly created unique and lovable characters who navigate very real situations in a way kids can connect. This is an important book for students to read as they will inevitably navigate bullying, regrets, shame, and hopefully unconditional love from family and true friends.

Middle school is a challenging time for most kids. It can be a time where a new sense of self coincides with heightened self consciousness. Those kids from Fawn Creek in Kelly's latest book are in the midst of walking that line. However, they have the experience of doing it in a small town that makes most small towns look big. Everyone knows everyone, They know their names, families, and have loads of shared experiences - good and bad. When a new girl comes along, out of the blue, all eyes cannot help but turn to look. She is a fresh breeze in the room. Carefree, world-traveled, somehow both mysterious and willing to tell all about her time in far off lands. But things are not always what they seem. Orchid stirs up the status quo of Fawn Creeks seventh grade. On the surface there are the normal representations in school stories: the jocks, the popular kids, the shy ones, just to name a few. But Kelly takes care to honor the uniqueness of each character by giving glimpses into their innermost thoughts and guarded wishes. The result is a thoughtful story that serves to remind its readers look beyond the surface to really get to know a person.

Another terrific story from Erin Entrada Kelly! This one focuses on a small town where the kids have all known each other forever and stuck in their roles that they've had since elementary school. But each of them is looking to find a voice of their own and a new girl, who is as exotic as her name-Orchid-helps each of them take steps towards being their own person and wonderful adults. Loved this one.

The small group of seventh graders in Fawn Creek are quite curious when newcomer Orchid arrives. Orchid seems confident and tells of traveling all over the world, but she is also kind, and seems to genuinely care about those around her. As some get to know Orchid a bit better, they learn that there is more to her and her stories than they first realized.

This is a great read for anyone who's ever been the new kid. Feels like an accurate depiction of what a middle grader would go through. As well written as all of her other books.

This is a quiet, but beautiful, book about a group of kids in a small town. They've known each other forever, but maybe they don't know each other as well as they think they do. When exotic new student, Orchid, enters their tiny class the shake up gives them an opportunity to reevaluate who they are to themselves and to each other. While I didn't live in a small town, I did go to a very small school, there were nine students in my 8th grade class. Kelly captures well the dynamics of a group in which everyone remembers every mistake and misstep you've made, the feeling of not being able to escape the you of the past - something that's particularly difficult on the doorstep of adolescence. I loved the alternating points of view and the way so many of the characters became more secure in their identities. Every young adult needs an Orchid in their life, someone who will help them see themselves with fresh eyes. A sweet read for the time of life when you're trying to sort out who you are and who you want to be.

Erin Entrada Kelly does it again. She has such a gift for writing from a middle schooler's voice and perspective. The ensemble cast of characters make the story so appealing and readers won't want this story to end. It's a must read!

This book will be well-received by students, and is a recommended purchase with a good message and relatable characters

Those Kids From Fawn Creek tells the story of what happens to a small town group of middle school classmates when a mysterious new girl comes to town. The kids in Fawn Creek have known each other since elementary school and are pretty bored with the non-happenings if their small town. But when Orchid joins their class they all begin to feel excitement in the air. Some friendships are tested while others grow stronger. I liked how this book showed multiple points of view from the kids. Each character had their own issues and how they felt about the new girl on town. Orchid was a breath of fresh air with her caring and calm demeanor and exciting stories of her world travels. Some of the kids gravitated toward her personal while others felt she was showing off. However, we do learn that her life is not as glamorous as she makes it seem as her own secrets are revealed. The story eventually shows how each character begins to find out their true self and what it means to be honest with themselves and everyone around them. The story shows how difficult middle school can be and how the friendships we have can either lift us up or drag is down.

This book was great. Love the characters. I *thought* at first this book was a lot like another book that I read a long time ago. New girl, mysterious and not like the other kids. But after talking to someone who had finished reading it, it was so much more than that. So glad I finished it this weekend. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Totally recommend as a classroom read aloud for 4th/5th and up.

Jacqui

I know the world is heavy right now, but I have a book recommendation that might make you feel a little bit better.

Let me tell you about THOSE KIDS FROM FAWN CREEK by Erin Entrada Kelly on today’s #caittalksbooks

Anytime Kelly has a new book out, sign me up. And that’s not just because I’m slightly partial to her writing as a #HamlineMFAC alumn where she’s on faculty. It’s because I’ve been a fan since BLACKBIRD FLY, and she never fails to hit me in the feels with her stories.

THOSE KIDS FROM FAWN CREEK is a story about 12 small town 7th graders who have been together their whole lives in a town where everyone knows everything about everyone. Before the school year started, Renni Dean moved away, & even though her desk is empty, she still has a hold over the kids from Fawn Creek.

Until Orchid Mason arrives with her flower behind her ear & stories about living in Paris & NYC. In a group where everyone has their place, where does Orchid fit in?

THOSE KIDS FROM FAWN CREEK was a story I couldn’t put down. Entranda captures small town middle school in a way that brought me back to my own small town childhood. While she pulled me through the ringer with her characters, every action & word & thought was so authentic & so important to the arc of the story. Orchid gave me big Stargirl vibes, & I fell in love with Greyson and Dorothy from the first time they stepped on the page. Now Renni & Janie are a different story…

This is a story about finding your voice & your place in a world that doesn’t always see you. Kelly weaves beautiful themes of belonging & the power of friendship & kindness that will not only speak to readers of all ages, but can also be important spaces to hold for students in the classroom.

THOSE KIDS FROM FAWN CREEK is out tomorrow, & if you’re looking for a feel good read to help you escape from the world for a bit, this is the one. Bring your tissues though & be ready to pass this on to the young people in your life.

A few ways to use this in the middle grade #elaclassroom are:
▫️independent/choice reading for fans of realistic fiction & Rebecca Stead.
▫️use as a whole class read aloud & a lead in to discussion about self-acceptance, standing up to bullies, & the power of kindness
▫️integrate into lit circles centered around friendship or finding your voice
▫️after finishing, write “I Am” poems based on Orchid’s example
▫️use as a model text when teaching figurative language, particularly simile & metaphor
▫️pair with a unit on WONDER by R.J. Palacio

Thanks to @netgalley and @greenwillowbooks & @harperkids for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.
#readwithcait #mslreads #mglit #middlegrade #ThoseKidsFromFawnCreek #NetGalley #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #elateacher #teachersofinstagram #englishteacherbookrecs

This book is everything I love in middle grade fiction. Here’s the premise: Nothing much changes in the small town of Fawn Creek, Louisiana. There are 12 seventh graders at Fawn Creek Middle, and they’ve known each other forever. They are set in their cliques – the “God Squad,” the jocks, the popular kids, the ones on the fringe. Then one day, a new girl arrives in town. Everything about her is exotic, including her name. Orchid arrives from France and captivates everyone with her stories about all the places she’s lived. When Orchid doesn’t fit neatly into one of the preset groups, everything changes for the kids from Fawn Creek.

I adored this novel so much! It’s a story about friendship and kindness. It’s a story about standing up to bullies and figuring out who you are and what you believe in. I spend my work days in a middle school, and Kelly really gets middle school students. I was hooked from page one. Share this with fans of The Next Great Paulie Fink, One Kid’s Trash, or The Truth According to Mason Buttle.

Erin whisks us to the world of Fawn Creek, where every day is the same until Orchid Mason arrives. Orchid embodies a different way of looking, of feeling and of being in the world, and in so doing, forces the other kids to take another look at themselves. Using multiple POVs, she shows us what it's like in the minds of all the kids, first as they appraise life as it is, and then as they consider life as it could be. Readers will undoubtedly pick a favorite character - mine was Greyson - yet root for *almost* everyone, by the end.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Middle-Grade Fiction

Those Kids From Fawn Creek is the story of the seventh-grade classroom in Fawn Creek school in Louisiana. It is a tiny town with a small population. In this classroom, there are only 12 students. One day, a new kid arrives. Orchid Mason is this mysterious girl who makes everybody wonder where she came from. The kids especially Greyson Broussard and Dorothy Doucet are somehow amazed and thunderstruck by Orchid’s stories and experiences from traveling a lot. However, some of the students are not buying all these stories so they start to dig more into Orchid’s past. They want to know why does this girl disappear into the woods when there are no homes there! They just want to know her secrets and everything about her.

I picked this middle-grade story because I wanted something light and not too dense to read along with my other books. The story is absolutely charming. I loved the small-town atmosphere that the author created. The concept behind the new girl who comes and causes the change of routine was brilliant. The mysterious aura around her even fascinated me as a reader.

The story has many characters but the main POVs are the ones who cause the flow of the story most of the time. I liked the characters a lot. I think the author has made sure to keep them varied and different in their own ways. Yes, at the beginning of the book it might be a chore to keep track of them but as you progress in the story and get immersed that chore is gone.

I appreciate the author including some important themes and subjects in the story such as honesty, being true to yourself and others, friendship, bullying, and middle-grade school melodrama. The ending was awfully endearing. It makes you stop and think about the whole thing asking yourself what would you have done if you were in a similar situation. Let us also appreciate the beautiful cover which is a good representative of the story and the different characters.

Many thanks to the publisher HarperCollins Children's Books, Greenwillow Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book.

I adored everything about this middle grade novel-the multiple POVs, the mystery surrounding Orchid, the new girl who just moved to Fawn Creek, and the exploration of bullying and its effects. Fans of realistic friendship stories will breeze through this.