3.5 stars rounding up. This is a middle grade novel. Sweet themes of a daughter/father relationship and a child with a passion for writing. Difficult theme of dealing with a distant parent. I loved the writing advice from the author character and character development. ( )

Middle
Jane wants to become a famous author like Jane Austen. She's forced to hang out with one of her favorite author's annoying sons and navigate her mom having a new fiancé.
I probably wouldn't have this book in my elementary classroom; it's not written for young kids. If I knew an older student who was dealing with family stuff I might recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this book as an adult but all I could think of while reading it, was how much 10 year old me would have loved it. It covers issues of family and friendship with some super likable characters and a bookish theme that will appeal to avid readers. ( )

I wasn't sure about this one going in, but the further along I got, the more it grew on me, until the very end, by when I was in love. And I'm honestly not usually a fan of romances aimed at the teen set. This one felt a lot more honest, though, and less saccharine. The custody story line was sort of predictable, and there is a TON of marine biology in there, but, hey, I learned about cone jellyfish, so it was worth it just for that. ( )