Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

Je n'ai malheureusement pas eu le temps de lire ce livre mais l'intrigue me plait tout particulièrement.

Started this a few weeks ago and haven't wanted to go back to it yet. Not sure if I'm ready for a COVID storyline yet, too soon. I'd be happy to go back and read if needed.

This was a sweet story trying to show the impacts of the quarantines we all faced in 2020. True is a 5th grader, stuck at home with her family while her mother is out of the country. And as we all felt, feeling trapped and ready to move on. Her compassionate heart tends to rule her actions and she makes some decisions that aren't stellar. But, as with all things in life, lessons learned can be hard, and hers would be part of her defining character.

She is a fun character, loving and smart. I love the mapmaking part of this book, and can see it used in a classroom to help with mapping things.

I enjoyed this book and feel it would be great in the hands of my upper elementary students.

With a bunch of novels that use COVID-19 pandemic as a plot device this one is a good one. I felt for the loneliness of True who is unable to see first her mother and then her father when he gets sick. This gives young readers a good view and vocabulary for dealing with the challenges the last two years have brought. There is a little bit of a survival twist when True's brother Georgie is lost in the woods. I also felt the frustration, lack of knowledge, and real life struggles that no one talk about when students were home for months. Highly recommend for middle grade readers.

This is the first book that I’ve read that mentions the ‘virus’ and speaks about a lockdown. Granted, I would normally not choose to read a book about the virus but it becomes a little more involved in the plot than I would’ve preferred.
I liked True’s take-charge manner, her care towards her younger brother, Georgie. He obviously looks up to True and it showed through Her loyalty towards her family and friends is admirable. She isn’t speaking to her Mom but her map making, her Mom is a cartographer, which shows she hasn’t forgotten her but is trying to work through her emotions towards the whole situation.
There will be readers who may want a bit more distance from the pandemic before they pick up books that remind them of the many trials they have been through but when they are ready this is an endearing story of a young girl trying to navigate her way through the many changes that she has had to endure, from e-school to masks to missing her mom who is stuck in Canada until the borders open.

Lovely themes of family, true friendship, and navigating a path in a topsy-turvy world. A great read for any reader who loves maps and navigating them.

This book told an authentic story of how the pandemic (and especially lockdowns) affected kids. True understands that COVID is serious and she realizes she needs to be careful because both her grandmother (who has recently had cancer) and her little brother (who has asthma). But understanding these things on the surface doesn't take away the confusion and loneliness that she feels when school is online, her dad has to work long hours, and her mom can't come home. She feels incredibly conflicted, wanting to do the right thing but also struggling with sadness about the situation and a general sense of stir-craziness. Because of this, True takes risks she knows she probably shouldn't. I have to say that there were a few times I was kind of horrified at here actions (especially toward the end of the book), but the whole point is that she is a kid and she makes wrong decisions sometimes. And she does learn from her mistakes. I think the main takeaway from this story is that the pandemic has been hard on people, especially kids, and no one knows how to handle it perfectly, especially kids.

True North Vincent is unhappy that her mom is not coming home due to the virus that has lockdown the world. Her dad is busy working at the hospital. He works long hours so True doesn’t see him much. She doesn’t understand why her sister is always on the phone. Grandma is too old to keep up with her little brother Georgie so True ends up watching him. They sneak out into the forest behind their home to go on a walk. They end up in an old barn where Georgie sees a metal detector. He begs True to take it home so he can look for hidden treasure. True gives in and they go back to get it. Hearing a noise in the barn’s loft, Georgie climbs the ladder and discovers kittens mewing. The mother cat comes back but is limping and won’t go near True or Georgie. Kyle a classmate from school appears on the barn loft as he is bringing food to the mother cat. True and he on another day clean and disinfect the would that has been causing the mother cat to limp. Kyle finds out that True draws maps just like her mother does. Kyle is impressed with True’s maps. When Georgie gets sick, True is devastated. Will Georgie get well? The father has to stay at the hospital because he has the virus. True feels abandoned. What will she do?

There is much more to the novel. The author has written a book that appears at an appropriate time. We have COVID which has locked down the United States and the rest of the world. Being confined and not being able to see others is difficult. The novel explores family relationships. It also shows how one can’t judge a person by how they act when someone is being bullied by others. It’s an excellent novel.

Fifth grader True North Vincent is struggling to make sense of the world during the pandemic. She misses her mapmaker mom who is stuck in Canada, unable to cross the border to return home to the family. Her father is a nurse working long hours in the hospital caring for others. True remains locked down at home with her older sister Rosie and younger brother Georgie under the care of her grandmother, who is recovering from cancer. The isolation is a challenge for True and she turns to mapmaking as an escape. She creates intricate maps for Georgie to follow. While out on a treasure hunt using one of the maps, they come across some newborn kittens in a barn and have a surprise encounter with Kyler, a boy from True’s school. True had believed that Kyler was a bully, but after watching him interact with the kittens over time, she reconsiders her views about him. She defies her grandmother, returning to the barn to try to assist the runt of the litter and is devastated when she is unable to save the kitten. When she realizes Kyler has fallen ill, she again finds herself in a difficult situation and will need to decide how to best help someone she cares for.
True’s empathy shines through across the book and shapes her character and her responses to events. While she does not always make the most responsible choices, readers can understand her perspective and reasoning. I liked how the author wove maps throughout the book in a meaningful way. They play a significant role in the book, from True’s name to her mother’s profession to their use as a tool for True to work through her anxiety and concerns and to process the world around her. While serious in its themes, this is a great read for middle grade students interested in reading about others’ pandemic experiences or reflecting on relationships with families and friends.

Trusting True North is such a heartwarming middle-grade story about kids in a pandemic. We really can see all the stress and worries to face the pandemic from kid's POV.

It tells a story about True North Vincent (True) who’s struggling with the pandemic before vaccines. There are lockdowns everywhere, they do e-learning instead of go to school, they can’t go outside or even meet a friend. True’s condition is getting worse because her Mom can’t go home even after two weeks of quarantine because the border closed. She’s also become a temporary mom for her little brother, Georgie. So, to keep Georgie entertained, they often go explore the Scrub and barn near their house, and she makes a map for Georgie to play treasure hunt.

I love almost everything about this book. True with her hobby to make a map (and the fact that the mapmaking talent passed down from her mom, which was also done by Rosie, her sister, then she also taught Georgie). I also love to read True’s guide to make a map that she submitted as a school assignment. It’s super fun!

All the characters are also so lovable. I love Kyler the most, he’s the ‘enormous’ kid who is feared at school after an incident that makes him look like a bully when he actually a nice kid and kind of lonely. I love the relationship between characters, like with True and her big sister, Rosie. So, how many ‘I love’ I mentioned now? Haha. The last one, I promise. I love the final map True made in the end, it was called impossible map but in fact it was not a map in the literal sense, it has deeper meaning. A map about her heart.

This is a book for kids that indirectly addresses the challenges and fears all of us have faced during the covid pandemic. Things like lockdown, online school, social distancing, masks over nose and mouth, and a dangerous virus. The pandemic hits close to home for the Vincent family. Dad works night shift at the ER. Mom is a mapmaker and ends up stuck in Canada when the border closed. Other people they know well are hospitalized.

True North Vincent is a 5th grade girl in Spooner, Minnesota who likes to make maps. She spends most of her time with her 6-year-old brother Georgie since her parents won’t let her be near people outside their family for fear of catching the virus. Their older sister Rosie, short for Compass Rose, is in high school and would rather spend time on her phone than with them. Grandma Jo lives with the family and has to talk with the aid of a special device due to cancer.

True and Georgie like to explore the Scrub, a forest behind their house, even though they have been told many times not to go there. I didn’t like that they disobey their parents and put themselves in danger exploring an old, abandoned barn. While there they make a new friend and experience grief and loss. Through this experience True learns not to wait when someone needs help.

Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing for an ARC to use for my review.

I decided to review this book because I wanted to get more experience with a younger audience book. I thought this story was very cute and it teaches a lot of good lessons. It is based upon the COVID pandemic which was interesting because most of us at this point have lived through it an know the hardships that it brought, but seeing it from True's perspective was really interesting. I was in college so my experience was very different from an 11 year old girl's experience. Why should you read this story? Because it is unique in that it tells a fictional story of the historical pandemic. This story teaches great lessons and I definitely think that in the future and currently this story will help guide children to hold fast to what is good and true in this ever changing world.

I received an eARC (Advance Reader Copy) of Trusting True North by NetGalley to review it. I thank the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for trusting me with reviewing this book like True North Vincent.

Disclaimer: This review is completely frank and contains frank opinions about the book. I didn’t give this book 5 stars because I received an ARC and had to review it. This book truly deserves 5 stars.

My thoughts:
What a heartfelt read! Trusting True North is an authentic middle grade at its best. I loved the family and friendships as well as the hard truth of living through a pandemic and all the emotions, concerns, and hardships that it brings. This author does not shy away from difficult topics such as death, sickness, separations from family and friends, and bullying. I highly recommend this contemporary novel that tugged at my heart on every page.
Why did this book have to end? I love True so much. This book gave me Craig the creek (the Cartoon Network show) vibes. I literally love this book. The world-building was superb. Also, pish posh and oh figs are really cool words.

Plot:
The plot was amazing. The book was concise. It didn’t spend too much time telling useless descriptions and dialogue. It also wasn’t rushed. It was the first book I read which was set during the Covid-19 pandemic. I absolutely love the writing style. It expresses True’s emotions and hard feelings well. I love these kinds of writing styles. Keeping family, friendship, and hope high, this is actually a quicker read, which packs emotion but doesn’t bog down. The illustrations were fabulous! I also learned the word Cartography from it! Phenomenal book with real-life themes!

Word-building:
The map at the start of this book was so cool. I absolutely love the Impossible map True made at the end! The ending was the best. The Slanted barn was my favorite location in the entire book. The little kittens in this book have my whole heart. The world-building especially gave Craig the creek vibes (I do realize I am mentioning this a billion times). The tree descriptions in the very first scene of the book were my favorite. I love books set in neighborhoods where there are so many trees just like in my neighborhood (though it isn’t like a forest). Though there were almost no scenes taking place in Darling Creek, Weeping Willow, Trestle Bridge, and the Scrub, I love these locations!

Characters:
The characters were compelling! Along with True North, there were many characters! Here are some of them!

True North: I love this sassy girl. But she always isn’t sassy. There are bad times when she feels like she’s breaking. I love her passion for mapmaking. I don’t think I have read about a mapmaker character till now. True deals with a lot of relatable stuff, from feeling lost to not being trusted. Pretty much every tween can relate to her.
Kyler: Kyler has my whole heart. I understand his situation better than anybody. All these misconceptions that bullies start, makes me want to punch them. No, seriously. I mean it. Also, Kyrue is the best! Hehe. His care for the little kittens shows his charming nature!
Georgie: I love him. His relationship with his sister is so affectionate. I love when he acts like a pirate lol.
The little kittens: Teacup is so cute. I love the other kittens and their mama is pretty protective of them lmao.
Other side characters were cool too though Tamsin isn’t my favorite at all. Sorry but it’s been more than a week since I read Trusting True North and since it was a digital copy, I couldn’t mesmerize many things. I don’t like reading digitally that much, you see.

Final thoughts:
This book is brilliant and you should read it. I am telling you all, it’s the best family-themed-set-in-the-covid-19-pandemic book! The main characters are extremely lovable. Again, I am incredibly thankful to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with the eARC! Even though it’s unlikely, I hope the author considers a sequel! Spotlight on the cover of the book! It’s so gorgeous! These kinds of books always stay in my heart. True’s become one of my comfort characters.

Thank you for investing your time in reading this review. Here’s a slice of pizza for you! 🍕

Here’s a fast read for those who want a glimpse at a fictional story of a young girl, True, during the early days of the Covid pandemic. Although it’s never mentioned specifically by name, those of us who have lived through it know what virus the author is talking about. Although it’s been 2 years since the beginning of the first lock down, it brought back a lot of memories for me. This might be a trigger for some, so know your boundaries before picking up this book. There were parts everyone could relate to. The homework assignments of the e learning, the families separated, medical professionals being swamped, being scared of the unknown, it’s all raw and well written for the age level of middle schoolers. Maybe some people aren’t ready to relive this time, especially because we aren’t out of it, but when the time is there, I think it’s a good fictional story that kids will be able to read and get a glimpse of life during a difficult time when the whole world was affected.

Small things I loved. The beginning has the cutest little map. I love True’s hobby, being a cartographer, and living up to her name. There’s a point where she talks about her name and how she stands strong in a spinning world. Children are resilient and should be looked to more often. We don’t need to put the weight of the world on them, but they’re able to be a steady point even when chaos is around them. I think True is a beautiful example and a heroine that other middle schoolers can look to. Last part, I loved the map at the end and her discussion with her mother. You’ll see what I mean once you read it, but I think that Linko captured a beautiful conversation between a mother and her daughter that needed her.

One day this will be considered historical fiction and I think it’ll be a great example to a younger crowd of what we went through.

Thank you netgalley and Shadow mountain for this arc! All thoughts are my own.

I loved the book, I didn't read many things that happen during the pandemic, so it was very interesting to read this story.
I loved our main character, I liked how she grew up but she didn't stop being herself.
I loved how the author managed to bring a story about adventures but at the same time bring heavy and real themes.
I think this book is a great mix of reality and adventure that you only find in middle-grade books.
I highly recommend this book, especially for children who are growing up and learning to deal with their feelings and responsibilities.
It's a book that will leave you with a heavy heart because it shows our reality but at the same time happy because you are enchanted by the story.

Kyler studied the map closely. Then, finally, he looked at Georgie. “You made this?”
“No, no. I wish! True did. Our mom makes maps for real. True’s name is a map word. You know, ‘true north?”
“That’s your name—True North?” Kyler asked me.
“Yep. It means, like, a fixed point, something that always stays true, even in a spinning world,” I explained. I was babbling because Kyler was studying my map. Hard.


True’s Mom is stuck in Canada when the border is closed due to the virus. She struggles when all she wants her Mum to return home. She is concerned about her younger brother, Georgie, who has asthma and is more susceptible to the virus, and she wants her older sister Rose to see her like she used to, and not be glued to her phone and texting her friends.

This is the first book that I’ve read that mentions the ‘virus’ and speaks about a lockdown. Granted, I would normally not choose to read a book about the virus but it becomes a little more involved in the plot than I would’ve preferred.

While trying to keep Georgie entertained and using one of her created and elaborate maps they venture past their backyard and find kittens in an abandoned barn, and to True’s surprise, Kyler Grier is there (from school) also wants to help these kittens.

I liked True’s take-charge manner, her care towards her younger brother, Georgie. He obviously looks up to True and it showed through Her loyalty towards her family and friends is admirable. She isn’t speaking to her Mom but her map making, her Mom is a cartographer, which shows she hasn’t forgotten her but is trying to work through her emotions towards the whole situation. 3.5 stars

My gratitude to Shadow Mountain and Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was really cute! I really enjoyed watching True's ARC and seeing how her relationships evolved. I thought it was a little too fast paced, but I think that will work more for the intended audience.

Not a long read but filled with emotions as True navigates through Covid pandemic, mostly taking all the worries and problems on herself to a point she is sleepless and ill. She is struggling with isolation and her mother being quarantined in Canada. Her father is a nurse, staying in the basement away from the 3 children. Her Grandma is there but to True she seems to restrictive. Her hobby is drawing my maps which keeps her and her little brother busy. When she finally share with mom, she sees that she has mapped out her current life.

This is a great story for younger readers, especially those who enjoy realistic fiction that speaks to their experiences. It is short and readable with relatable characters. True is a young 5th-grade girl who is dealing with a lot in her life. First, there is a viral pandemic going around with schools being shut down. And with family circumstances also being difficult, True is feeling alone but with greater responsible for looking after a younger brother. This is her story of finding her way through these trying circumstances. She learns more about herself along the way and how to communicate and connect with her family when things change.