Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this middle grade novel in verse.

This book is an excellent (and much needed) addition to the middle grade genre. Unfortunately, many kids will be able to relate to this story, and will hopefully find some comfort in seeing aspects of their lives in someone else's stories.

I was a big fan of Andrea Beatriz Arango's debut, but this one went above and beyond in terms of beauty of its poetry, emotional arcs, poignant plot, and lovable main characters. Arango is such a master at using verse to keep books about serious, real issues that kids are facing from feeling too heavy or preachy. I loved the relationship between Laura and her new furry friend as well as her aunt and her best friend at school. The way she slowly felt at home with each of them was excellently done. I was heartbroken at the way Laura hoped for her parents to get better and how she internalized that guilt, but I think this book does a great job at affirming those affected by the foster care system while opening up a discussion through its representation for others. Overall, powerful and stunning. I highly recommend this masterclass in verse for kids.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this novel in verse, Laura Rodgríguez Colón is staying with her aunt, Titi Silva, who is a doctor. Laura's mother and father ran a food truck, but struggled for years with addiction, and were often in no state to take care of their daughter. They are now in rehab, and Janet, the social worker, tries to ease Laura's transition to her aunt's. It's a struggle, not only because her aunt's life is very orderly and has a lot of rules that seem silly, but also because Laura feels that everything is her fault because she called 911 when her parents were unresponsive, and set all of the wheels in motion. Laura thinks that her parents will be back with her in a week, so doesn't understand why she has to start at Riveview Elementary School. She doesn't try to make friends, but Benson is overly friendly. We later find out that he has trouble connecting to classmates because he is frequently ill with sickle cell anemia, and often in the hospital. Things are not going too badly; there's even a kindly librarian, Mrs. Elsa, who sees that Laura is struggling with reading and gives her graphic novels, which she enjoys. Laura also finds an abandoned dog, Sparrow, she brings home, and Titi Silvia lets her keep it. When Laura's parents are not allowed to call her, because it is thought that Laura will distract them from their progress, she hatches the idea that she will train Sparrow to be a therapy dog so that she can get in to see them. She even tries to take Sparrow to the hospital to see Benson, which doesn't end well! After this, however, Titi Silvia sees how important the training is to Laura and helps her to get Sparrow certified. Things are still difficult with her parents, but there is a Court Appointed Special Advocate assigned to Laura who helps her contact them. When they don't show up for a call, Laura is devastated, especially when it turns out they have checked themselves out of rehab. When Laura's mother shows up at school, Laura at first blames herself for not going along with her mother's ruse, and realizes that she might be with her aunt for some time.
Strengths: Combining foster care with dogs can be very appealing, like in Galante's Strays Like Us and Bauer's Raising Lumie. There are not as many books involving kinship care, although we are certainly seeing more and more students being raised by family members who are not their parents. Certainly, many of these children are with relatives because of addiction issues, so this was a good inclusion. Arango has first hand knowledge of the foster care system, and she's right that books can help students understand what some of their classmates are going through. The addition of dog training gives an added layer of interest.
Weaknesses: There's a lot of poetic bird imagery that doesn't help the story move forward. Birds are one of those odd things, like pirates or carnivals, that my students don't seem to like at all. I don't understand it; I'm just reporting it! It's not so ovewhelming that it would cause a reader not to pick up the book; even the imagery on the cover is fairly subdued. Since dogs are popular, I think they will outweigh the birds.
What I really think: It's always good to see a child in an alternative family situation have an additional interest, but there are several titles where that is animal based, like Bailey's Snow Foal and Lewis' Scarlet Ibis. Titles like Farr's Pavi Sharma's Guide to Going Home or O'Shaughnessy's Lasagna Means I Love You cover other topics. Since this is one of the few titles involving foster care that are written in verse, that does set it apart.

Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango is a short but significant tale about a girl named Laura who has to live with her Aunt due to her parents drug use. The story is poetic and written beautifully with all of the emotions expected from such a difficult experience. I loved the way finding the puppy helped Laura connect with her Aunt and start the process of healing.

This book has my heart! You will be emotionally invested all the way through as you root for Laura & her family. The novel in verse is the perfect way to capture it all. Our main character learns the value of friendship, of trust, of acknowledging everyone’s feelings, and unlearning ways of thinking that hinder growth & compassion. Finding her way back home is right around the corner of the page!

It was a good book. I enjoyed it, although to be honest I wasn't really expecting the poem format. However, I was impressed. I'm not really much of a poem person, but this really told the story, in a better way honestly. It follows Laura, who wants to meet her parents who are in rehab. She meets this dog and wants to train it into being a therapy dog, however it doesn't turn out as she expects. Great book, Laura seems like a very likable person, someone you'll root for the entire time.

Wonderfully moving and beautifully written, Arango hits another home run with this verse novel. She has proven herself a master at creating vulnerable characters learning to stand up for themselves. Highly recommend.

I loved this book! It was written in verse and so well done. The character of Laura was relatable and as a reader my heart aches for her. I love that the book didn’t have a happily ever after type ending. The ending was much more realistic, yet satisfying. If there was a sequel to this someday, I would definitely read it. The story also gave a nice glimpse into the foster care system.

This book features a good look at how the foster care system words when a young girl is taken from her parents and put in a placement with her aunt. The verse is well written and tells a story that is sad and hopeful at the same time.

Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy of Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango.

Laura Rodríguez Colón’s parents have made some bad choices which result in her being sent to live with her aunt whom she does not know and does not want to know. She has to switch schools without saying goodbye to her friends, leave her home and her room, and leave the food truck where she helps her mom and dad. While her aunt is nice enough, Laura resents having to live in her apartment and desperately misses her parents. She knows she will live with them again - she just has to figure out a plan to get to them now for at least a visit. When Laura finds a puppy, she decides this might be the best way to get to see her parents again. Laura hatches a plan to train the puppy to become a therapy dog, so maybe she’ll be allowed to visit her parents in the rehab facility. Maybe this dog could be the answer to her parents getting better and all of them being able to go home for good.

I found this story to be a fairly realistic telling of what many foster kids face throughout our country. I like that this book shows how even parents who love their children might face demons that their love cannot overcome, and that “family” can mean many things. I felt some of the other social issues Arango mentions take away from the central theme and feel a bit forced. Other than that, this is a good middle-grades read, especially for students who don’t like to read or may struggle with reading (Laura has these same issues). I love how it is written in verse, which can further help struggling readers. A good one for 5th-6th grade, but teachers and parents should pre-read for additional sensitive topics that might not be appropriate for all age 10-12 year olds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love Arango's books. Something like home was beautiful and heartfelt. This novel in verse is a wonderful story about a girl who is discovering herself while everything in her life is changing and up in the air. It's both equal parts sad but also happy. A luminous story about the complications of family and an insightful look into foster care and how it works.

Andrea Beatriz Arango does it again.

I knew, just from the cover, that Something Like Home would reduce me to a pile of tears and I was right. Just like her debut novel, Something Like Home is a novel is verse. This time we go on a journey with Laura, a girl who moves in with her aunt due to her parent's struggles with addiction. Laura wants nothing more than to be with her family, so it seems like a blessing when she finds a puppy and hopes to train it to become a therapy dog, therefore being allowed to visit her parents.

There were so many wonderful things about this book. I loved how Titi Silvia is truly wonderful and wants what's best for Laura and her family. I love how the parents aren't seen as antagonists, but truly people, with flaws and virtues, who are dealing with addiction because it's a complicated and delicate topic. I love Laura's emotional growth and maturity throughout the book.

I know that Something Like Home will make a kid feel a little less alone, a little more understood.

Laura’s life is turned upside down when she makes a 911 call that puts her in kinship placement with her Titi. While her parents are in drug rehab, she’s battling mixed emotions. She hatches a plan to train a dog she rescues from the brink of death to be a therapy dog in hopes of using him to see her parents. Between her dog and a new friend she bonds with, she is able to cope as she comes to some hard realizations. This beautiful novel in verse will appeal to students for its important topics and short length they have been begging for.

I thoroughly enjoyed Laura's story, all the while reading it wondering what had happened to her mother. Laura's story is one that too many students will likely connect with on a personal level, while many others will finally see a peek into the lives of some of their friends. I thought Arango handled the matters of kinship care and addiction thoughtfully.

Something Like Home is a novel in verse about Laura. Her life has been uprooted when her parents make a poor choice, and she is sent to live with her aunt. While there, she meets a new friend and a dog. They help her navigate everything going on in her life. She also learns more about her family from her aunt. This book tackles lots of issues that is worthy of discussion. I hope it finds its way into libraries so readers can get to know Laura's story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

"Something Like Home" is a middle-grade novel in verse about Laura, a young lady who is caught up in a struggle to find family and home when she feels left behind and forgotten. Laura is taken away from her mom and dad when they are sent to rehab, after a scary encounter. She is taken to her aunt's home, who she has never met, to a new home, a new school, new friends, and a new life. She is desperate to find her way back to her old life but throughout the story learns that it is possible to adjust to a new normal and to have more than one family who loves her.

This book is full of all the feels. I can relate to all of the uncertainty and fear that Laura encounters throughout the novel. It is a quick yet powerful read. Possible trigger warnings exist but it is done tastefully in a way to approach younger students and begin discussions (sickle cell anemia, the foster care system, therapy dog training, addiction and rehab, family dysfunction and therapy, and anxiety just to name a few.)

Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read it in exchange for my honest thoughts.

You MUST read this book. Right now! It's an incredible novel in verse for upper MG readers and beyond. Readers will be hooked from the very first chapter and will not want to stop reading until they've read the whole book. Laura is a young girl, struggling with guilt and loneliness. She is living in foster care, with her aunt as her guardian while her parents are in rehab for drug use. Laura views this new placement as temporary and is hesitant to get too attached to her new school, new friend, new life. When Laura finds and rescues a dog, she starts gaining hope. An absolutely beautiful and touching story

Andrea Arango has done it again!

Meet Laura, an eleven year old girl who just entered the foster care system and has been sent to live with her aunt Titi. Titi gas so many new rules but one thing is clear, she is NOT Laura’s mom. Laura isn’t even sure Titi wanted to take care of her, otherwise why didn’t Titi ever visit before? Things start to change when Laura finds an abandoned puppy, Sparrow. If Laura trains Sparrow to be a therapy dog, maybe she can use Sparrow as an excuse to see her parents. Rehab centers use therapy dogs right?

Told in verse this book will touch your heart. Very few books cover the sensitive topic of foster care.even more so from the child’s perspective. Something Like Home has something for everyone. This will definitely be a top pick for librarians and will likely become a favorite among middle grades.

Laura is suddenly moved by DSS to live with her aunt—someone she doesn’t remember meeting before. As the novel in verse unfolds, it’s revealed that her parents are in rehab after Laura found them unresponsive and called 911.

As Laura works through trusting others, the guilt for sending her parents away, the rejection of her parents not responding to her letters, the fury of adults making decisions about her life without consulting her, the crush of knowing her friends back home feel ghosted, and so much more; she also grows to trust herself and others.

I loved this book! 5 stars is not enough for this book.. I think many readers will be able to empathize with the main character. I think it could also bring awareness for what other people are going through. I love Andrea Beatriz Arango as an author and have recommended all her work to my students.