The Battle of Junk Mountain

by Lauren Abbey Greenberg

Overview

For fans of Rebecca Stead and Jennifer L. Holm, this is the perfect middle grade summer beach read.

Twelve-year-old Shayne Whittaker has always spent summers on the Maine coast, visiting her grandmother Bea and playing with her BFF Poppy. Both Shayne and Bea are collectors, in their own ways: Shayne revels in golden memories of searching for sea glass and weaving friendship bracelets with Poppy, while Bea scours flea markets for valuable finds, much of which she adds to a growing pile in her house that Shayne jokingly calls Junk Mountain.

This summer, though, everything has changed. Poppy would rather talk about boys than bracelets, and Bea's collecting mania has morphed into hoarding. Only Linc, the weird Civil War-obsessed kid next door, pays attention to her. Turns out Linc's collected a secret of his own, one that could enrage the meanest lobsterman on the planet, his grandpa. What begins as the worst summer of Shayne's life becomes the most meaningful, as she wages an all-out battle to save her friendships, rescue her grandmother, and protect the memories she loves the most.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762462957
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	04/17/2018
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	1,149,408
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Lauren Abbey Greenberg is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature and has been published in Highlights for Children and Knowonder! magazine. She was a freelance writer/producer for many years and worked on a ton of cool projects such as TV spots for Discovery Kids, educational videos for National Geographic, and a film for Mount Rushmore National Memorial. She lives in Maryland with her husband, children, and fluffy dog, and has spent summers in Maine for the past twenty years. The Battle of Junk Mountain is her debut novel.

Editorial Reviews

"This absorbing middle-grade read gently but unflinchingly considers the common ground of growing up and growing old."—-Kirkus Reviews


Told in the voice of a spunky, hopeful 12-year-old, this story explores not only the importance of family but the reality that some people grow apart. Realistic descriptions detail what it's like to live with a hoarder and the reluctance to let go of sentimental treasures. This beautiful story reminds readers that there's much more to life than material objects.—-Booklist


"Themes on intergenerational relationships, grief, and evolving friendships elevate this above the standard summer vacation story. A solid purchase, especially where realistic coming-of-age middle grade is needed."—-School Library Journal


This coming of age story is a great book for middle grade[rs] . . . who enjoy realistic fiction."—School Library Connection


"Loved it! Shayne's sharp wit combined with her can-do compassion grabs us from the get-go. Her summer of trials and unexpected friendships shines a brilliant light on the power of holding on . . . and letting go. I didn't want this sweet, heartrending story to end!"—-Jennifer Richard Jacobson, author of Small as an Elephant

"The Battle Of Junk Mountain is a warm, fresh tale that will have readers smelling the salty air of the New England coast as they explore the heavy burden-and joy-of toting around the past. Anyone lucky enough to have a summer friend will instantly relate to Shayne as she navigates honoring old traditions and fostering new paths."—-Beth Vrabel, author of Caleb and Kit and the Pack of Dorks series

From the Publisher

03/01/2018
Gr 4–6—Twelve-year-old Shayne has just arrived on the Maine coast to spend a month with her grandmother, who everyone calls Bea. Shayne is excited to be back in Maine to catch up with her "summer sister" Poppy. She's also there to help Bea clean out her house. Complicating things is the fact that her grandmother is an avid collector. She loves yard sales and has piles and piles of stuff she has amassed over the years. In the background, though, hovers her grief over the loss of her husband, Shayne's grandfather, who died in a boating accident. When Shayne helps Bea organize her things and bring them to the flea market, Bea refuses to sell anything. Meanwhile, Poppy is busy working at her dad's store and Shayne is left feeling out of sorts and lonely. Into this mix comes Cranky, also known as Mr. Holbrook, and his grandson Linc, a devoted Civil War reenactor. They become friends and Shayne starts working on Cranky's lobster boat. The Maine setting comes through clearly with rich descriptions and details. VERDICT Themes on intergenerational relationships, grief, and evolving friendships elevate this above the standard summer vacation story. A solid purchase, especially where realistic coming-of-age middle grade is needed.—Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City

School Library Journal

2018-01-22
This summer is not at all what 12-year-old Shayne had hoped for.Shayne loves summering with her loving grandparents in their quaint lobstering town in Maine. She relaxes with them and swims with her friend Poppy. This year is different. After Grandpa's earlier death in a boating accident, her grandmother Bea needs Shayne's help preparing cascading piles of accumulated stuff to sell at the flea market. It quickly becomes evident that Bea is extremely reluctant to part with even the smallest, most tattered items, each of which to her embodies a story. With dismay and frustration, Shayne begins to realize that Bea's pack-rat tendencies have grown to hoarder proportions. Then their already-stressed relationship crumbles when Shayne, behind Bea's back, comes up with a plan to clear away the junk. Shayne also feels she's lost her main ally, as Poppy has become increasingly interested in boys. Each chapter is headed with a cheerful, folksy adage such as, "Saltwater Cures All Wounds," and the seemingly all-white town is populated with kind, eccentric residents, including Shayne's newest friend, who is a costumed Civil War enthusiast. The challenges, however, presented with candor and naiveté in Shayne's voice, are real and troubling. This intelligent exploration of the grandparent-grandchild relationship recognizes that within every person reside contradictions.This absorbing middle-grade read gently but unflinchingly considers the common ground of growing up and growing old. (Fiction. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews

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