Tell Me Why the Jack Pine Grows

This was a short and highly enjoyable read. Told in verse, we follow a young girl as she deals with fear and loneliness in her every day life. The feelings and emotion pop from the pages, allowing the reader to feel exactly how the young girl feels.

This book is great for all ages, from children to adults. There is growth in the pages, and a good lesson to be learned about what might happen if someone is too afraid to speak up.

This is an important book because it demonstrates to younger readers the importance of Information sharing, even when that is something that feels difficult, bad or shameful in some way.

Meadow is reasonably happy with her life, and enjoying her summer activities in the countryside. An active 4H member thanks to her beloved chickens, she is occupied with simple, wholesome pleasures including exploring her bucolic surroundings, and is in no hurry to grow up.

Unfortunately she may not have a choice about that. An unsettling encounter with a strange man makes her deeply uneasy, leaving behind a legacy of discomfort and anxiety.

Meadow wants to put the whole thing behind her, despite its lingering impacts. The last thing she wants to do is discuss it with anyone.

But when the realisation that someone with ill intentions may be able to prey on other girls like her, who are also unprepared dawns after a repeat of her own experience takes place with another young girl, it forces Meadow to take action...

This is a sensitively written story, skillfully rendered in verse. Meadow's innocence is charming and the reader feels for her predicament. This will be a relatable story, alas, for many young girls, and it can play an important role to play in preparing them for adulthood - whatever their sense of unease or anticipation at the prospect.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rosen Publishing Group, West 44 Books, and D.J. Brandon for the opportunity to read Tell Me Why the Jack Pine Grows in exchange for an honest review.

Tell Me Why the Jack Pine Grows is a middle grade hi-lo novel-in-verse about a girl who loves her chickens and learning how to use her voice to protect herself and others.

Meadow is a twelve-year-old girl living in the countryside. Along with her Nanna's chickens, Meadow has two of her very own: Mrs. Crumly and Buttercup, both of which she prepares for showing at the fair every year.

Between caring for chickens and visiting the river with her brother Clay, and his friend, Meadow reminisces about how she was more adventurous with cliff climbing in the past, noting how the lone jack pine marks the perfect climbing spot. On her way back home one day, a man in a green car pulls over and asks her to see what he has. With serious feelings of dread, Meadow rushes away, but doesn't tell anyone about what happened, figuring it would just be brushed off as nothing and likely not happen again.

One night, Meadow and had Nana's chickens get out because of an old rusty wire that snaps. Meadow had noticed it, but didn't say anything, expecting that the wire would hold. She learns that the chickens are her responsibility, and that she should have used her voice to say something about the faulty pen; then Mrs. Crumly and Buttercup would not have escaped.

After a long day of looking for her chickens, Meadow is not prepared to go to the fair, but it's an obligation, and unlike her mother who left, she will not turn her back on her commitments. At the fair, she recognizes a familiar green car. After the mishap with the chickens, it's time for Meadow to use her voice.

There is so much going on in the short span of this brilliant novel. Written in verse, there is a sing-song poetic feel to the story telling that makes it feel airy, but also serious. I love the chickens, as I had a friend growing up who raised and showed chickens as well, so the imagery was familiar to me. It takes a lot for a book to be powerful enough to make me cry, and this one did me in.

While an incident with possibly falling off the cliff is what keeps Meadow from trying to climb again is hinted at, it's not really revisited or explored much more later, aside from the lonely jack pine. Though this feels like an aspect to her past that could have been resolved with her giving another try, her lack of speaking up will be resolved through some hard lessons.

Overall, a really great novel for a middle grade audience that demonstrates the care that 4-H students offer their animals, the relationship between siblings, and the power one's voice can have.

DJ Brandon's first middle grade novel written in high/lo prose format.

Protagonist Meadow Larkin's mother left when she was 2 weeks old and is living with her Nanna, father and older brother.

I enjoyed the writing. Debating between 4 - 5 stars and deciding to round up. Definitely worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for (yet once again) introducing me to a new to me author. Thank you NetGalley and Rosen Publishing Group for approving my request to review the advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Tell Me Why the Jack Pine Grows was a great story about the importance of situational awareness and using your voice. Meadow is a young girl who lives on a farm with her grandmother, her father, and her brother. One day while she is out playing she see's and experiences something that unnerves her but decides to keep quiet about it. Through a series of events she continues to think about the situation and sees that keeping quiet and not following your instincts could have consequences. This is the perfect "thriller" for a middle grade classroom full of suspense, surprise, and a valuable lesson. I'll be thrilled when I can add it to my shelves.

Like the lone jack pine, Meadow feels alone and out of place. While walking home from the creek,a stranger in a car stops and tries to talks to her, but she runs away. Meadow doesn’t tell anyone. Meadow stays away from the creek to forget about the man. When it’s time for the county fair, Meadow meets a younger girl, Serenity. She sees the same man reaching for Serenity and screams. He leaves and people come running. Meadow doesn't tell anyone about the man but knows she should. Does Meadow decide to tell anyone?

I got this on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a hard-hitting and realistic story about how scary it feels to be approached by adult creeps as a child / tween! So many people out there have had experiences like Meadow, and it felt intense but good to read this book that focuses on it + how much bravery it takes to come forward about something that feels so personal and embarrassing! Would maybe have liked a little bit more focus on the situation and a little less on the hens, but otherwise really good!

I'm also really glad it was written in verse! Made it even more hard-hitting, but not too intense!

Thank you so much to Rosen Publishing/ West 44 and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Meadow Larkin feels like the lone Jack Pine tree, she is a mother hen to her chickens that she trains up for the country fair each year. On a walk home one day a man pulls up beside her on the rode and she becomes fear ridden and has no one to tell, but her chickens.

This was full of storylines, from the Jack Pine Tree, to her chickens, to the man in the car. It was a really interesting read, it was so layered and we went on this path with our protagonist as she learnt the truth behind her Jack Pine Tree.

I was so sad for her with what happened to poor Buttercup, her chickens were her world and she was so careful and loving and they treated each other like best friends. I really enjoyed reading about her friendship with them and how she confided in them for everything. I also liked that because of her chicken she made a friend at the fair, who had chickens too and was so much like her.

The creep man in the lime green car was super scary and unfortunately a perfect reality for our world. I really liked the way it was written delicately and not letting it get too far, I liked that showed the dangers and the fear that will be within someone after the fact but that it didn’t get too deep into it. You became fearful and worried at each page of what might happen next as the story really draw you in.

I really enjoyed this verse book, it was written beautifully, I really liked our protagonist character and her growth as the story progressed. She had a lot to accomplish and a lot to learn and though she didn’t want to grow up, she inevitably did anyway as life had to make her grow up to see the truth that was round her tree. This was a really great verse book, that I totally do recommend it was a wonderful and sweet read, you’ll just adore her relationship with her chickens.

What a beautiful book. Told in lyrical verse, this story explores 12 year old Meadow's feelings of lonliness. The writing was perfect - simple but evocative - and though the story was short, I felt like I knew Meadow. The story deals with important issues in a sensitive compassionate way, and will help to educate children on the issues.
I think the story is absolutely perfect and I will definitely be recommending it to everyone.
The only minor complaint I have with it is is that there were a few formatting mistakes, but that is easily fixable.
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!