I usually enjoy books in verse - however I found this one difficult to get into. However, I am an adult and this is not who K.A. Holt is writing for. Once I got to know the characters a bit better, I was fully invested to see how each changed over the course of the book. At the end, I was rooting for everyone, including Ms. J, to find their best selves.

I think this novel about four learning "divergent" kids trying to get through summer school and pass a dreaded standardized test will appeal to a lot of young readers - especially those with a love of Minecraft or those who find reading a challenge. This is an honest and heartwarming look at middle school and how students find themselves in an education system that doesn't have their best interests at heart.

The format of the book -- with a variety of fonts, layout and graphics -- does a wonderful job expressing a unique voice for each character.

I am disappointed that once again a middle grade book has unfortunate adult characters who just don't get anything about these kids at best or who are the source of the students anxiety and self-doubt. For example, while the teacher is sympathetic and tries her best to engage these students, she can't address a student by the name she requests to be called nor does she apparently have any idea that one of her students has a stutter. As a parent of three, I am always searching for at least one adult that I like. ( )

Really well done — appealing both in the way it portrays reluctant readers and how it appeals to them. Loved the characters and how they are each dealing with some big stuff in behind their connection to sandbox, and how they use the platform to take care of each other. The audio book reader is pretty extraordinary, too. Great stuff! ( )