Overview

Maple is in fifth grade--again. Now everyone will find out she struggles with reading--or will they? An engaging read for anyone who has ever felt different. Maple Mehta-Cohen has been keeping a secret: she can't read all that well. She has an impressive vocabulary and loves dictating stories into her recorder--especially the adventures of a daring sleuth who's half Indian and half Jewish like Maple herself--but words on the page just don't seem to make sense to her. Despite all Maple's clever tricks to hide her troubles with reading, her teacher is on to her, and now Maple has to repeat fifth grade. Maple is devastated--what will her friends think? Will they forget about her? She uses her storytelling skills to convince her classmates that she's staying back as a special teacher's assistant (because of budget cuts, you know). But as Maple navigates the loss of old friendships, the possibility of new ones, and facing her reading challenges head-on, her deception becomes harder to keep up. Can Maple begin to recognize her own strengths, and to love herself--and her brain--just the way she is? Readers who have faced their own trials with school and friendships will enjoy this heartwarming story and its bright, creative heroine.

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9781713587910

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Reviews

Narrator Soneela Nankani creates a believable portrayal of a biracial Jewish-Indian girl who is grappling with dyslexia.... Nankani sympathetically portrays Maple's shame as she lies to her new fifth-grade classmates and continues trying to hide her reading difficulties. Nankani creates distinct voices for the adults and kids in Maple's life, conveying the kind concern of teachers, the open friendliness of classmates, and the snooty disregard of sixth-grade former friends. --AudioFile Magazine Adventure abounds and develops into a solid story for students who struggle with reading. . . this is a story to share with all as Maple's reading struggles are revealed to be a result of dyslexia, allowing this title to serve as a talking point regarding the need to show acceptance and understanding for students who struggle with reading and learning. --School Library Connection (starred review) Poignant. . . For young people who struggle with reading or feeling different because of other academic issues, Maple is a welcome protagonist. --School Library Journal Maple's learning challenges and their impact on her emotional health are carefully and realistically rendered. So, too, is her heartwarming journey to shedding her secrets and embracing her true, flawed, wonderful self. Maple is a character that readers of all stripes will relate to. . . Warmly compassionate and often funny, Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen is an inspiring and comforting read. --Bookpage Frank and quirky. . . A layered, utterly readable novel. --Kirkus Reviews McGovern offers a compelling portrait of a girl struggling to come to terms with a new version of herself, the shame she feels at imagining her parents' disappointment and the valuable life lessons she learns about making friends and keeping them. --The Buffalo News Readers of all ages will empathize with Maple as she faces her troubles and learns a thing or two about truth, friendship and perseverance. --The Florida Times-Union

Author Information

KATE McGOVERN is the acclaimed author of the young adult novels Rules for 50/50 Chances and Fear of Missing Out, which School Library Journal described as a compelling and heart-rending read that should not be missed. Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen, her debut novel for middle-grade readers, evolved out of her experiences working with middle schoolers in classrooms and after-school programs. She was inspired by many of her former students: young people who, like Maple, are bright, curious, engaged kids with many gifts but who sometimes struggle with reading. Kate McGovern lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her husband, Neheet, and their daughters, Priya and Kavya.

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