Georgia Rules

by Nanci Turner Steveson Narrated by Cassandra Morris

Overview

A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year

Perfect for fans of One for the Murphys and The Penderwicks, this poignant and moving middle grade novel tells the story of a girl who moves to a new town and meets an unforgettable family—one that will change her and her mother’s lives forever.

Magnolia Grace never wanted to leave Georgia. She never wanted to move with her mama to the farm her daddy owned before he died. But now here she is, in a tiny Vermont town where everybody sings the praises of the father Maggie never knew.

Then Maggie meets the Parker family—two moms, six kids, plus a pony. The Parkers are loud and wild, ask lots of questions, and don't follow any of the rules Maggie grew up with in Georgia. Suddenly Maggie has questions too—questions about her father, and why Mama kept him away for so long.

In her search for answers, Maggie will learn that families are like patchwork quilts, sewn together by love, and all the more beautiful for their different colors.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

05/08/2017
A 12-year-old’s attempt to learn about her recently deceased father while at odds with her conservative mother provides the framework for Steveson’s well-crafted novel. Magnolia Grace Austin, aka Maggie, inherits a farm from her late father, whom she never really knew. In order to sell the farm, Maggie and her mother must live there for one year to satisfy the terms of the will, so the summer before seventh grade, Maggie and Mama move from Atlanta to Vermont. Small-town life proves to be a big adjustment for both, and Steveson (Swing Sideways) weaves divorce, same-sex relationships, adoption, disability, PTSD, and more into the story, forcing Maggie and Mama to rethink certain attitudes while also propelling the narrative. Maggie’s developing friendships with the sprawling Parker family—made up of two mothers and biological, adopted, and foster children—become a catalyst for change in their lives. The strained relationship between Maggie and Mama is especially poignant as they try to find their way in uncharted territory. It’s an inspiring story of opening eyes and expanding perceptions. Ages 8–12. Agent: Al Zuckerman, Writers House. (May)

From the Publisher

This book soars as it details the fractious and frustrating relationship between Maggie and her mother, and the way it makes Vermont, and its beauty throughout the seasons, a character of its own...there is also determination and revelation, giving this more heft than usual for a middle-grade novel.” — Booklist (starred review)

“[A] singular, intricately woven story of people’s complicated, rule-surpassing existences. This book gives young readers a useful perspective on the negotiation of power in their own lives, and it sheds a soft light on the imperfections of adults, creating space for honest and open dialogue.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“A tender coming-of-age story about forgiveness and growing up.” — School Library Journal

A Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year — ;

Booklist (starred review)

This book soars as it details the fractious and frustrating relationship between Maggie and her mother, and the way it makes Vermont, and its beauty throughout the seasons, a character of its own...there is also determination and revelation, giving this more heft than usual for a middle-grade novel.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

[A] singular, intricately woven story of people’s complicated, rule-surpassing existences. This book gives young readers a useful perspective on the negotiation of power in their own lives, and it sheds a soft light on the imperfections of adults, creating space for honest and open dialogue.

;

A Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

[A] singular, intricately woven story of people’s complicated, rule-surpassing existences. This book gives young readers a useful perspective on the negotiation of power in their own lives, and it sheds a soft light on the imperfections of adults, creating space for honest and open dialogue.

School Library Journal

03/01/2017
Gr 4–6—Everyone in Vermont knows far more about Maggie's dad, John Austin, than she does. It's not really surprising, since Maggie saw him only once, when she was four. Upon her father's recent death, he left his 2,000-acre farm to Maggie with the proviso that she has to live there for one year. After that, Maggie can sell the farm and live anywhere her picky mom wants. Though reluctant, Maggie agrees to move from Georgia to Vermont. She becomes fast friends with six siblings (five girls and a boy, some of whom are adopted, others of whom are foster kids) and their two moms. As Maggie adjusts to her new surroundings, she begins learning about the life, art, and legacy of her late father. Conversations with her mother also allow the protagonist to understand why her parents divorced and the toll that serving in the war in Afghanistan took on her dad. In addition to witnessing Maggie's own emotional journey, readers get to see her mom change over the course of the book. She becomes less selfish and for the first time puts Maggie's needs above her own. VERDICT A tender coming-of-age story about forgiveness and growing up. A solid purchase for most middle grade collections.—Lillian Hecker, Town of Pelham Public Library, NY

Kirkus Reviews

2017-02-04
Twelve-year-old Maggie moves from Atlanta to Vermont. Her long-estranged father left her his family farm after his unexpected death, with the stipulation that she must live there for a year. Maggie's stepfather and mother are already divorcing, since he's come out, and Maggie's appearance-oriented Southern-belle mother is glad they have a fresh start, even if it's in the country. In Vermont Maggie learns that the father she barely knew was an artist and a local hero; she's befriended by the Parkers, a large, multiracial family headed by two moms, who were especially close to him. (Maggie and her mother are white.) Over a span of six months, Maggie learns to love Vermont and treasure memories of her father. Steveson's writing is lucid and smooth, and Maggie and the Parkers are appealing characters, but the novel suffers from the same issue as the author's first, Swing Sideways (2016): most of the plot elements rely on character inconsistencies and obfuscations. Vermont is well-evoked, but Georgia isn't: the "Georgia rules" of the title seem mostly to consist of saying "Ma'am" and "Sir." And while Maggie's relationship with her biological father is well-drawn from a patchwork of memory and objects, her relationship with her stepfather, with whom she lived for seven years, is nonexistent, relegating him to yet another plot device. When Steveson's stories can match her descriptions, she'll be terrific; this one doesn't hit that mark. (Fiction. 8-12)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940175640275
Publisher:	Dreamscape Media
Publication date:	06/11/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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