Turn the Tide by Elaine Dimopoulus follows young Mimi from everything she’s ever known in New England to an island off of the Floridian coast. Inspired by the work of young environmentalists, she decides to take a stand against single use plastic bags in her new home whether anyone wants to listen or not. Mimi is a fiesty, determined young lady setting a positive example to believe in yourself and it’s okay to let go of old dreams for new ones.

This is an inspiring story in verse about a 7th grader who becomes an environmental activist when she moves to a small island in Florida. Mimi is a relatable, likable character who is determined to ban plastic bags from her new island home.

Middle grade readers will relate to Mimi’s drive to make the world a better place and hopefully be inspired to create change themselves.

Highly recommend purchasing this for middle-grade library collections. I will recommend to students!

Mimi thought she had her seventh grade year all figured out. She was going to play piano in the Young Artists competition at Carnegie Hall with her best friend, have a couple of snow days, and tend to the community garden with her dad. But all her plans go up in smoke when troubles with the family restaurant forces them to move.

Mimi is falls in love with the island she now calls home but is horrified by all the plastic pollution she sees on the beaches. Then her science teacher, Ms. Miller, shows her class a TED Talk by Melati and Isabel Wijsen. At ages twelve and ten, they lobbied to ban single-use plastic bags on their home island of Bali—and won. Mimi is inspired to do the same, but can she, a 12 year old kid, do it all by herself?

The next generation of environmental activists are front and center in this book about friendship and discovering your purpose. Young environmentalists and nature lovers alike with feel empowered and inspired by the message and lessons in this book. A must read for middle graders.

I loved this book! Written as a novel-in-verse, this book was inspired by the real life activists Melati and Isabel Wijsen from Bali who led the movement to ban single-use plastic bags there. Mimi Laskaris is a twelve year old girl whose family relocated to an island in Florida to start a Greek restaurant. She learns to balance her life as a gifted pianist with her duties in her family’s new restaurant and her newfound passion for environmental activism. The progression of Mimi’s following for the cause and the ways she involved others was very realistic. It also wove in navigating a long distance friendship and settling into a new place as a middle schooler. This story delivers the message that young people can make a difference and be heard. The book has a myriad of resources, time lines, and other information in the back useful to young changemakers.

This is a Middle Grade book written in verse. I have found that books written in verse is hit or miss for me. I did not love the writing style of this book, and I could not connect to the characters in this book. I did love the environmental message in this book. I love that a 7th grader cared so much about the environmental in this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Clarion Books) or author (Elaine Dimopoulos) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Mimi (Demetra) and her family move from Massachusetts to a small coastal island because it's less expensive to run their Trident restaurant and they have family on Wilford Island, Florida. She is sad that she has to leave her best friend and fellow piano enthusiast, Lee, behind, but the two are able to talk frequently. The school is small, but Mimi makes a friend in super popular Carman. When their enthusiastic science teacher, Ms. Miller, teaches them about Melati and Isabel Wijsen and their Bye Bye Plastic Bags movement,, Mimi is enthralled and wants to start banning plastic bags from their island right away. She has a somewhat unlikely ally in Carman, whose father owns the local grocery store, and Anne and Henry Lowell, who run the local bookstore, Dusty Pages. Getting signatures on the petition, being interviewed by classmate Ethan for his Scaled Fish podcast, and worrying about her parents' restaurant opening makes it hard for Mimi to concentrate on her piano lessons with her new teacher Kyle and cut into her practice time. Carman seems super supportive when they are handing out free reusable bags at her father's store, or brainstorming flyers at home, but seems aloof at school. When Mimi doesn't invite her to the Trident's grand opening, Carman is hurt. Mimi worries that she won't be able to make much headway without her, and the Lowells have a health scare. Not only that, but Lee visits, and her piano playing has improved much more than Mimi's has. How will Mimi learn to balance her activism, piano, family and friends in her new community?
Strengths: This was a great depiction of a small island community, and I loved that Mimi's family was Greek and had a restaurant! It made me immediately hungry for a good, authentic horiatiki! There is a great balance between parental involvement and Mimi's own activities, and it's good to see that the parents have their own interests (but balance things a bit better than the parents in Pizza My Heart!). There are not a lot of books involving young people who play piano, so Mimi's interest in a future of competing is interesting. Of course, the best part is Mimi's determination to ban plastic bags from the island. Dimopoulos' has done a lot of research to outline what local governments can and can't do about this scourge, and gives great examples of places where bans have been effective. This is a topic dear to my heart, and with as many young environmental activists as there are in the world, you'd think we would hvae more middle grade books about topics of conservation. Anne and Henry are good examples of older people who have been and continue to be positively involved in their community, and the fact that the beach clean up crew is predominately older citizens is so true to life. All of the elements in this story were well balanced and entertaining to read. The notes and lists of resources at the end of the book will help readers who want to get involved. This is an essential purchase for middle school libraries, and I've already requested that my public library buy it!
Weaknesses: There are certainly some poetic lines, and Mimi's love of music and books gives a decent excuse for this format. Like most novels in verse, there isn't much in the way of meter, and it reads more like prose.
What I really think: I would LOVE to see a whole sub genre of realistic fiction books where middle school students take up worthy environmental causes and set about trying to change the world. I'm always a fan of Kids Doing Things, and when the book also includes some very realistic and constructive friend drama like Mimi has with Carman, this makes for a compelling story I can't wait to get into readers' hands.

When Mimi, a 7th grader who spends most of her free time practicing piano, moves from Massachusetts to an island town in Florida, she feels out of her element. Then she notices the plastic pollution on the beach and watches a video of the Wijsen sisters in her science class and finds a new passion: banning plastic bags from the island. As she becomes more involved in her cause she makes two new friends, but also struggles to put enough time practicing piano and studying for classes. Something has to give! This is a very engaging novel in verse that will inspire readers to make simple changes in order to counter the effects of climate change.