The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane
by Kate O'Shaughnessy (Author)
This sparkling middle-grade debut is a classic-in-the-making!
Maybelle Lane is looking for her father, but on the road to Nashville she finds so much more: courage, brains, heart--and true friends.
Eleven-year-old Maybelle Lane collects sounds. She records the Louisiana crickets chirping, Momma strumming her guitar, their broken trailer door squeaking. But the crown jewel of her collection is a sound she didn't collect herself: an old recording of her daddy's warm-sunshine laugh, saved on an old phone's voicemail. It's the only thing she has of his, and the only thing she knows about him.
Until the day she hears that laugh--his laugh--pouring out of the car radio. Going against Momma's wishes, Maybelle starts listening to her radio DJ daddy's new show, drinking in every word like a plant leaning toward the sun. When he announces he'll be the judge of a singing contest in Nashville, she signs up. What better way to meet than to stand before him and sing with all her heart?
But the road to Nashville is bumpy. Her starch-stiff neighbor Mrs. Boggs offers to drive her in her RV. And a bully of a boy from the trailer park hitches a ride, too. These are not the people May would have chosen to help her, but it turns out they're searching for things as well. And the journey will mold them into the best kind of family--the kind you choose for yourself.
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School Library Journal
Gr 4 Up-Eleven-year-old Maybelle Lane has never met her father. Everything she knows of him comes from one voicemail, and her Momma saying he'll just break her heart. When Maybelle discovers he is a radio DJ and will be judging a singing competition in Nashville, she signs up instantly. Even better, the event lines up perfectly with her Momma's month-long work trip. During her mother's absence, Maybelle is placed under the care of her rigid neighbor, Mrs. Boggs. She devises a plan to make it to Nashville on her own, yet when her plan goes awry, Mrs. Boggs ends up accompanying her on the road. Joined by their neighbor Tommy, the trio sets off on a quest filled with courage, a dog named Pickles, and unexpected friendship. O'Shaughnessy's debut is illuminated by characters each brimming with charm and grit while coping with deeper scars. Readers will cheer on plucky Maybelle and will empathize with her anxiety attacks and her being bullied for her mother's sexuality. Perfectly paced with a few surprise twists, this novel layers themes of resilience and finding love in unexpected places. VERDICT A recommended purchase, this novel will be welcomed into the hearts of many readers.--Amy McInerney, Falmouth Elementary School, ME
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Publishers Weekly
Eleven-year-old Maybelle and her mother moved to a trailer park in Davenport, La., after a falling-out with Maybelle's Baton Rouge grandparents that she believes is her fault. Maybelle's mom works two jobs but struggles to get by, and lonely Maybelle, who is white, is bullied after her mother goes on a date with Miss King, a teacher at her school. When her mom gets a monthlong job singing on a cruise, Maybelle is left in the care of African-American neighbor Mrs. Boggs. Learning that her dad, a radio DJ whom she's never met, will be judging a singing contest in Nashville, she enters, then persuades Mrs. Boggs to drive her. Neighbor Tommy, who is white and Maybelle's occasional bully, sneaks into the trailer, and Mrs. Boggs persuades Maybelle to give him a chance, knowing that Tommy may have his own struggles. Soon the threesome, along with a dog they rescue along the way, are having an enjoyable adventure. But Maybelle, who suffers from anxiety and a fear of singing, must dig deep to find the courage to perform when they finally arrive. Lyrical and full of heart, this road trip story gets to the core of what it means to create family, to be brave, and to accept the flaws of being human. Ages 8-12. Agent: Pete Knapp, Park Literary. (Mar.)
Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"Packed with the triumphs, mishaps and self-discovery essential to a great road trip story, Maybelle's mission to Nashville takes readers on a quest that emphasizes the importance of found family and hope. Lonely or not, Maybelle Lane's heart beats with grace and courage." —Shelf Awareness
JUV013060 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Parents
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
Courage
Fathers and daughters
Bullies
Automobile travel
Competitions
Singing
Anxiety
Absentee fathers
Lesbian mothers
Anxiety in children
