The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn

This is a great book, if a hard one to read. Maudie goes through a lot, and has a surprisingly sunny disposition given how cruel people are to her on the regular. This is the summer where things get better -- and not because she changes, but because she's surrounded by people who accept her as she is and love her all the more. She does change, as the book goes on -- she has more confidence, more reasons to trust, more resilience as she learns to surf, which is a process of failing and learning and failing some more. She starts to trust her own boundaries. She starts to find people who don't define autistic as broken. There is abuse in this book -- both physical and verbal, some deliberate, some well-meaning. It's still awful. There is show more the loss of a home by fire, and the finding of a home by kindness. Pretty great. I loved that the author's lived experiences are reflected in the work. Only parts of the book are in verse, but it's got a lot of short, engaging chapters. show less

I so enjoyed listening to this novel about autistic Maudie.

Maudie lives in Texas with her mother and new stepfather. In flashbacks, we learn about Maudie's life in Texas. Her mother strives to be well-known on social media, spending time gettings as many followers as she can in order to make a living as an influencer. She fails to understand Maudie's autism. She feels that Maudie should just get over it. Just let the issues go. Maudie doesn't like talking to people on the phone or being in crowds or talking to anyone she doesn't know well. Maudie's new stepfather believes that being harsh and abusive will fix Maudie's problems. Needless to say, Maudie is thrilled to be spending the summer, as she does every summer, with her father. He show more owns a beautiful cabin in the mountains of California. On the day Maudie arrives, she finds herself homeless. A fire sweeps through the forest, keeping them from returning to the cabin. They lose everything. Her father is a wood worker, actually, an artist with wood. His latest contract was building bar stools for a rich client. Now, they have nothing--no money, clothes, food, or shelter.

Maudie and her father end up returning to the father's hometown on the coast of California. Here Maudie finds a life she never would have imagined she wanted. There's a surf contest coming up and the winner in the beginner's division will win $1000. She must win that for her father. Feeling drawn to the water, Maudie meets a surfer who eventually agrees to help teach her. She meets her father's best friend and his family who become their family. Maudie feels that she's found a loving home where people don't call her bad words.. They love, support, and respect her. She would love to stay with her dad forever.

This novel is sweet. Maudie finds people who help and support her. All kids need adults who protect and love them while letting them explore who they are as people, not chaining them down by their own limited ideas/expectations. It's worth your time. It also helped me understand autism a bit more. show less

First sentence: I learned this great calm-down trick recently. It was the end-of-the-year seventh-grade dance, back in Houston, which is where I live during the school year with my mom and stepdad.

Premise/plot: Maudie McGinn looks forward to spending summers with her dad in California, but a wildfire destroys "plan A" and the two quickly come up with a "plan B." Maudie didn't plan on spending her summer learning to surf while her father hunts for a job. But ANYTHING is better than having to spend the summer with her mother and stepfather instead. Will Maudie share her deepest, darkest secret by the time the summer is over?

My thoughts: Maudie has autism but that is not the whole story; that is not what the whole book revolves around. I show more love seeing Maudie begin to live life more fully and freely. The book does have a happily-ever-after, rosy ending, BUT, only after much worry and angst. Maudie does deserve some happiness after living with her stepfather for several years and enduring much cruelty.

I do think most of the characters fall into two categories--either perfectly perfect saints or dastardly villains. But overall I enjoyed this one very much. show less

Maudie has been waiting and waiting for the summer with her dad. When she arrives at his house, they get evacuated due to a wild fire. After a night in a shelter, they head to the coastal California town where her dad grew up. Maudie decides to learn to surf while she is there as a surprise to her dad.
Life with her mom and step-dad is rough. It is clear that Maudie is keeping a secret but it is a slow reveal.
Maudie is autistic and the book gives insight into how that impacts her life and dealing with sensory issues.
This book is not one I would've picked up on my own but was a great read that had me turning pages to find out what would happen next!

Love this book! Maudi is a strong and amazing young woman who is dealing with some terrible secrets when she is thrown for a loop during one amazing summer. She learns that she is stronger than she thinks and finds out what a truly special person she is. This coming-of-age story is a must-read for any middle-grade student that has ever felt out of place or as if they don't fit in. If I was still teaching this would be on my reading list for class this year!

Recommended Ages: Gr. 4-8

Plot Summary: Maudie is so happy to be with her dad for the summer. She loves being with him, even if they have to leave their cozy home due to a wildfire and figure out how to survive with nothing but the clothes on their backs as they move to southern California. For the first time, Maudie begins to feel like she belongs and is accepted. She makes friends, she has people who understand who she can trust, and she wants to learn to surf and surprise her dad. Will she win the big contest to help her dad get money so they can find a real home? Will she be able to keep the big secret she is not supposed to share with anyone?

Setting: Mom is in Texas, Dad is in California (first Molina, then Cowry in Southern show more CA)

Characters:
Maudie McGinn - autistic, stims secretly by chattering her teeth to rhythms
Mom - has very little confidence in Dad and Maudie, has custody of Maudie during the school year
Ron - Mom's husband, Maudie's stepfather, angry (abusive) towards Maudie, has unrealistic expectations, should not be a father or stepfather, lives in a sleek modern apartment and had Maudie and her mom move in
Dad - warm, notices immediately that something is wrong with Maudie, lives in a cozy warm cottage, a carpenter who just finished a giant order that hadn't been delivered so he doesn't have much money and he struggles to find work
Etta - famous elderly surfer who teachers Maudie to surf
Naldo - Dad's friend who runs an RV park, lets Maudie and her dad live in an old RV when they are displaced
Max - lifeguard who is told to look out for Maudie, helps her find a surf board to use
Begonia - Naldo's niece, works at a shop, friendly and helpful to Maudie
Mrs. Jill - therapist arranged by mom who seemed to have sessions that lasted too long and were not appropriate for Maudie
Paddi - met Maudie at the beach during clean up day, her mom runs a school for kids who are differently abled

Recurring Themes: autism, ADHD, stimming, divorce, friendship, belonging, abuse, wildfire

Controversial Issues: none, but trigger for physical abuse

Personal Thoughts: This book was everything I love: family drama, great characters, friendship, and a happy ending. I felt like I was the main character. Read the book in one evening. Highly recommend.

Genre: realistic fiction

Pacing: very fast
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