This is a feel good story about a girl and her family who are dedicated to helping make the world a little more sustainable. Topics such as recycling, upcycling, and thrifting are discussed as Jolene puts together a swap meet to show that one persons trash can be another person's treasure. It also gives a small look into making new friends and talking about how being kind can go a long way.

This adorable beginning chapter book is about energetic Jolene, who decides she needs to get rid of some things, but wants to do it in an ecologically sound way. Her parents suggest a swap meet, where people bring things they want to get rid of and take things they would like to have. For Jolene, this is a terrific way to meet her neighbors and make new friends, in addition to getting rid of things she doesn't need any more. This is a really fun read. The bouncy art work is a perfect compliment to cheerful, upbeat text. Jolene is a character kids are going to love!

Jolene is a very earth-conscious almost third grader. She even brings home recyclables from school to sort into the proper bins. Her best friend has moved, and a new family is moving in, but they have so much stuff! Then, Jolene recognizes that she has more than she uses. She decides to set up a neighborhood swap meet to help things find new homes. Will her swap be successful?

The illustrations are cute and have a classic story feel. The characters are endearing, authentic, and likable. The plot is well written, easy to read, and draws readers into the story. Fans of Ivy and Bean, Clementine, realistic fiction, and humor will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections. Gr 2 to 3, 4 stars.

I received an electronic ARC from Disney Publishing Worldwide through NetGalley.
Jolene misses her best friend and neighbor who moved away. A new family has moved in but the new girl isn't very friendly. They meet while everyone is taking their recycling out for the truck. Jolene notices all the toys in the boxes their new neighbor hauls inside. She comments and her mom challenges her to look at how many she owns too. After doing this count, she realizes how much she has and wants to do something about it. She dismisses holding a yard sale and her parents recommend a Swap Meet. Readers learn about these too through the dialogue. We see the trial and error process Jolene goes through to set this up for her neighborhood. It is a huge success and Jolene makes two new friends. The recycle, reduce, reuse, upcycle message comes through clearly. Helpful information is provided at the end so readers can create their own plan for helping to save our planet.

At my library, we constantly keep our eyes open for new first chapter books to add to the collection. This absolutely makes the list, and Wendy Maas has truly outdone herself with something so informative and enjoyable.

Jolene has recently lost her best friend and neighbor after she moved away. As Jolene learns she has too much that she doesn’t use, her parents suggest a swap-meet (I haven’t heard people doing that for awhile, so I remain hopeful they might make a comeback). Along the way she manages to put together a swap meet with the help of her parents, gets to know her neighbors, and make a few friends too. Throughout the book you learn about recycling, reusing, and upcycling in an enjoyable format. At the end there is further information.