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Ava and Pip
An endearing tween story about friendship, family, identity, and inspiration
Outgoing Ava loves her older sister, Pip, but can't understand why Pip is so reserved and never seems to make friends with others. When Ava uses her writing talents to help her sister overcome her shyness, both girls learn the impact their words and stories can have on the world around them.
Outgoing Ava loves her older sister, Pip, but can't understand why Pip is so reserved and never seems to make friends with others. When Ava uses her writing talents to help her sister overcome her shyness, both girls learn the impact their words and stories can have on the world around them.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
87 people are currently reading
1241 people want to read
About the author
Carol Weston
24 books89 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Carol's newest novel, SPEED OF LIFE, is for ages 11+ Starred reviews: Kirkus, PW, Booklist, SLJ. New York Times: "perceptive, funny, and moving." Newbery medalist Richard Peck calls it "wonderful." Julia Alvarez says, "You won't want to put it down." Carol is also the author of AVA AND PIP, AVA AND TACO CAT and AVA XOX, (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky), a series about a fifth grade "word nerd." NYTBR says AVA AND PIP is "about sisterhood, but it's also a love letter to language." (nyti.ms/1ggyDHV) Carol has been "Dear Carol" at Girls' Life since 1994. Her first book, GIRLTALK (HarperCollins) was translated into 12 languages. A Yale grad with an M.A. from Middlebury, Carol has been a guest on Today and The View and loves visiting schools. The author of The Diary of Melanie Martin series (Knopf), her fan page is: www.facebook.com/writercarolweston. She posts helpful videos at www.youtube.com/girltalkwithcarol. She and her husband live in NYC, and have two daughters and a cat. twitter.com/carol_weston
Carol's newest novel, SPEED OF LIFE, is for ages 11+ Starred reviews: Kirkus, PW, Booklist, SLJ. New York Times: "perceptive, funny, and moving." Newbery medalist Richard Peck calls it "wonderful." Julia Alvarez says, "You won't want to put it down." Carol is also the author of AVA AND PIP, AVA AND TACO CAT and AVA XOX, (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky), a series about a fifth grade "word nerd." NYTBR says AVA AND PIP is "about sisterhood, but it's also a love letter to language." (nyti.ms/1ggyDHV) Carol has been "Dear Carol" at Girls' Life since 1994. Her first book, GIRLTALK (HarperCollins) was translated into 12 languages. A Yale grad with an M.A. from Middlebury, Carol has been a guest on Today and The View and loves visiting schools. The author of The Diary of Melanie Martin series (Knopf), her fan page is: www.facebook.com/writercarolweston. She posts helpful videos at www.youtube.com/girltalkwithcarol. She and her husband live in NYC, and have two daughters and a cat. twitter.com/carol_weston
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
July 17, 2014
Absolutely one of the best middle-grades reads of the year! As an elementary school librarian, I'll be buying a class set of these for a teacher who wants to add something "new" to his curriculum... And here's why:
-The story is engaging. I have no doubt that students will relate to the characters and enjoy reading the story.
-The writing is creatively brilliant, in a way that is is clearly intentional. Through Ava's diary, we learn how writers think about words and their writing, all through the mind of a 10-year-old!
-This book makes words fun! Ava and her family love to explore palindromes, alliteration, and idioms, and readers will, too!
-The story provides a background for subtle, non-preachy character education. Ava makes mistakes, Ava learns from her mistakes, Ava does her best to make things right, and Ava FEELS GOOD about making others feel good. And the reader feels good, too. And all the good feelings feel totally natural!
-Ava loves Aesop's fables, reflects on them, and includes them in her writing. She shows how readers and writers engage with stories by using stories that are known and accessible to middle grade readers.
I realize that this review makes a case for including the book in curriculum more than reading for pleasure, but, I assure you that I enjoyed every page!
-The story is engaging. I have no doubt that students will relate to the characters and enjoy reading the story.
-The writing is creatively brilliant, in a way that is is clearly intentional. Through Ava's diary, we learn how writers think about words and their writing, all through the mind of a 10-year-old!
-This book makes words fun! Ava and her family love to explore palindromes, alliteration, and idioms, and readers will, too!
-The story provides a background for subtle, non-preachy character education. Ava makes mistakes, Ava learns from her mistakes, Ava does her best to make things right, and Ava FEELS GOOD about making others feel good. And the reader feels good, too. And all the good feelings feel totally natural!
-Ava loves Aesop's fables, reflects on them, and includes them in her writing. She shows how readers and writers engage with stories by using stories that are known and accessible to middle grade readers.
I realize that this review makes a case for including the book in curriculum more than reading for pleasure, but, I assure you that I enjoyed every page!
October 12, 2016
The book Ava and Pip is about Pip the older sister who doesn't have much social life, and Ava who is the younger sister and has a bunch of friends, and writes it all in her diary. Ava is worried about Pip because she hasn't been very social. Pip has her birthday party coming up, but a new girl named Bea also ends up having a party on the same day. Because Bea is having that party, all the people that were coming to Pips party ended up at Bea's and never showed up at Pip's party. Anyway there parents start to get worried and start putting all the attention on Pip and very little on Ava. Ava dosnt think that's fair, so she writes about Bea in a story without knowing Bea. Bea sees the story and calls Ava. Ava tells her everything and Bea thinks of a way to help Pip be more social. How do you think Bea will try to be more social? Do you think the stradigie will work for Pip or will it not work? I really liked this book because I felt like I was behind the scenes of a movie, when your actually just reading a diary. I recomend this book for people who like reading fiction and diary books. This book reminds me lot of Dork Diaries, or Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
February 5, 2014
Ava, a feisty 10 year old and aspiring young writer, knows that she comes from a family of word nerds. She and her sister Pip were both specifically given palindrome names, and the entire family loves to play games of naming alternating palindromes. Despite all of the word game fun, Ava remains pretty concerned about her older sister Pip, who always seems to keep to herself and never really spends anytime with friends or talks to anyone outside her family. Why can't Pip find friends or hold conversations like Ava can?
In trying to help her sister stand up for herself, Ava enters an important writing contest in which she bases her story's villain on a popular mean girl from Pip's grade named Bea. But, Bea recognizes herself in the story and plans to confront Ava on her vicious depiction right away. So, Ava wonders if she might be able to rope an old enemy into a new plot to unleash a braver side to her sister Pip.
Can Ava find a good way to help Pip come out of her shell without getting herself into more trouble than she can handle?
I really enjoyed Ava and Pip, a LOT more than I expected to love a middle grade novel. Although I'm definitely not well read in this genre, I definitely enjoy approaching new works as if I were seeing through the eyes of my younger pre-teen self, just to get a better perspective on how it may be received by the intended age group.
For any young girl who can identify as a nerd, a book worm, a teacher's pet, or just a creative soul, I do think Ava and Pip would be an awesome read -- and I might even recommend it for young girls way earlier than the pre-teen crowd (with parental assistance, if needed). The overall story is adorable, and Ava and Pip both show significant character growth while portraying a nice moral that will appeal to readers of all age!
I appreciate the opportunity to preview an Advanced Reader's Copy of Ava and Pip and am glad to have been given the chance to supply an honest review of this fun title!
In trying to help her sister stand up for herself, Ava enters an important writing contest in which she bases her story's villain on a popular mean girl from Pip's grade named Bea. But, Bea recognizes herself in the story and plans to confront Ava on her vicious depiction right away. So, Ava wonders if she might be able to rope an old enemy into a new plot to unleash a braver side to her sister Pip.
Can Ava find a good way to help Pip come out of her shell without getting herself into more trouble than she can handle?
I really enjoyed Ava and Pip, a LOT more than I expected to love a middle grade novel. Although I'm definitely not well read in this genre, I definitely enjoy approaching new works as if I were seeing through the eyes of my younger pre-teen self, just to get a better perspective on how it may be received by the intended age group.
For any young girl who can identify as a nerd, a book worm, a teacher's pet, or just a creative soul, I do think Ava and Pip would be an awesome read -- and I might even recommend it for young girls way earlier than the pre-teen crowd (with parental assistance, if needed). The overall story is adorable, and Ava and Pip both show significant character growth while portraying a nice moral that will appeal to readers of all age!
I appreciate the opportunity to preview an Advanced Reader's Copy of Ava and Pip and am glad to have been given the chance to supply an honest review of this fun title!
May 30, 2014
What this book is about:
Ava is outgoing with lots of friends. Her older sister Pip is so shy she eats alone every day at school. Ava worries about Pip, and when Pip’s birthday party is ruined when one of the popular girls (Bea) plans a party on the same day, Ava vents by writing a story about the Queen Bee who has stolen her sister’s friends. The story is submitted to a local contest, and when it wins an honorable mention, it is published for the community. The only problem is that the actual Queen Bee is really a nice person, who didn’t intend Pip any harm. How can Ava make everything right again?
Why I love this story:
Ava is just wonderfully written. She feels just what every fifth grader feels about her parent’s not paying enough attention to her and wanting to do the right thing for everyone. Part of my love for this book stems from the fact that I could see myself in Ava so clearly at that age.
Between jealousy of her sister, to overcoming an embarrassing situation, this book felt realistic and will show girls that they can get through both. It also reminds kids in this information age, that what they write down doesn’t just go away, so they have to be careful with the words they choose.
I really enjoyed the word play included in the book, especially the palindromes. So many books try to teach literary concepts and then add a story around them. This book has a solid story and then adds concepts that fit beautifully into the narrative.
Who this book is for:
The book is in a diary format, so kids will not feel overwhelmed by this story. Good for reluctant readers as a result.
This book is also wonderful for girls who want to be writers, girls who occasionally have trouble with their sisters, and girls who aim to please (or basically just a younger versions of me!)
Final thoughts:
YAY! WOW! DON’T NOD run to go out and get this book. Some palindrome humor. I tried!
Ava is outgoing with lots of friends. Her older sister Pip is so shy she eats alone every day at school. Ava worries about Pip, and when Pip’s birthday party is ruined when one of the popular girls (Bea) plans a party on the same day, Ava vents by writing a story about the Queen Bee who has stolen her sister’s friends. The story is submitted to a local contest, and when it wins an honorable mention, it is published for the community. The only problem is that the actual Queen Bee is really a nice person, who didn’t intend Pip any harm. How can Ava make everything right again?
Why I love this story:
Ava is just wonderfully written. She feels just what every fifth grader feels about her parent’s not paying enough attention to her and wanting to do the right thing for everyone. Part of my love for this book stems from the fact that I could see myself in Ava so clearly at that age.
Between jealousy of her sister, to overcoming an embarrassing situation, this book felt realistic and will show girls that they can get through both. It also reminds kids in this information age, that what they write down doesn’t just go away, so they have to be careful with the words they choose.
I really enjoyed the word play included in the book, especially the palindromes. So many books try to teach literary concepts and then add a story around them. This book has a solid story and then adds concepts that fit beautifully into the narrative.
Who this book is for:
The book is in a diary format, so kids will not feel overwhelmed by this story. Good for reluctant readers as a result.
This book is also wonderful for girls who want to be writers, girls who occasionally have trouble with their sisters, and girls who aim to please (or basically just a younger versions of me!)
Final thoughts:
YAY! WOW! DON’T NOD run to go out and get this book. Some palindrome humor. I tried!
April 7, 2017
This was a very wholesome, instructive, and clever book. Even though the story is told through the journal entries of the outgoing 10 year old Ava, the plot revolves around Ava's painfully shy sister Pip. Ava is so protective of Pip, that she ends up writing a thinly veiled revenge story about Pip's bully, "Queen Bea". The story ends up circulating on the internet, but once Ava finds out "Queen Bea" is actually not so bad, she doesn't know how to make things right.
I know the plot doesn't sound like a thriller by any means, but Ava's narration is very funny and engaging. Her whole family is obsessed with puns and palindromes, and so there's a great deal of wordplay in her journals that I think a lot of kids would like.
Besides, I find a lot of middle grade books nowadays really try to seem "Important" or "Literary" by dealing with edgy issues (parents in jail is very on trend lately, for instance). That's great and all, but I think we need more novels for kids about the everyday drama of childhood--how to resolve disputes with your peers, taking responsibility for your mistakes, and finding proactive ways to communicate your emotional needs to your family. I think a lot of adults could stand to learn some of the lessons in this little book.
"Ava and Pip" speak to those seemingly simple issues, and they speak to them constructively. A great little read about language, sisterhood, and working through tricky interpersonal issues.
I know the plot doesn't sound like a thriller by any means, but Ava's narration is very funny and engaging. Her whole family is obsessed with puns and palindromes, and so there's a great deal of wordplay in her journals that I think a lot of kids would like.
Besides, I find a lot of middle grade books nowadays really try to seem "Important" or "Literary" by dealing with edgy issues (parents in jail is very on trend lately, for instance). That's great and all, but I think we need more novels for kids about the everyday drama of childhood--how to resolve disputes with your peers, taking responsibility for your mistakes, and finding proactive ways to communicate your emotional needs to your family. I think a lot of adults could stand to learn some of the lessons in this little book.
"Ava and Pip" speak to those seemingly simple issues, and they speak to them constructively. A great little read about language, sisterhood, and working through tricky interpersonal issues.
December 16, 2020
Ava and Pip is a book that has been hanging around our house for a couple of years now- one of those I picked up on a whim at the thrift store because the cover made me think Juliana might like to read it one day. Sure enough, Juliana chose it as our most recent read aloud. And, we all loved it!
This sweet story is about fifth grader, Ava- a writer- who tries to help her painfully shy older sister, Pip, break out of her shell. Ava's misguided attempt to support her sister leads her down a somewhat bumpy path toward an important life lesson.
There are a couple of great characteristics of this book that make it unique. It is an epistolary book- it tells the story through entries Ava writes in her journal. The other feature I appreciated is the wordplay in the book. Ava's entire family loves palindromes, so the book is chock full of them. The book was delightful and engaging for both of my children (ages 8 and 10) and myself. It is innocent and endearing.
(Out of 5 stars, Juliana and I both rated it a 5, and Jack rated it a 4.5. And Juliana has already made me check out Ava and Taco Cat, the sequel from the library.)
This sweet story is about fifth grader, Ava- a writer- who tries to help her painfully shy older sister, Pip, break out of her shell. Ava's misguided attempt to support her sister leads her down a somewhat bumpy path toward an important life lesson.
There are a couple of great characteristics of this book that make it unique. It is an epistolary book- it tells the story through entries Ava writes in her journal. The other feature I appreciated is the wordplay in the book. Ava's entire family loves palindromes, so the book is chock full of them. The book was delightful and engaging for both of my children (ages 8 and 10) and myself. It is innocent and endearing.
(Out of 5 stars, Juliana and I both rated it a 5, and Jack rated it a 4.5. And Juliana has already made me check out Ava and Taco Cat, the sequel from the library.)
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May 26, 2023when i tell you that i read this and lived as though i was ava in the story😭😭 i ate it up. i loved the palindrome in my name it made me excited about palindromes and that's basically all i remember. i slayed in this book fr✊
December 19, 2016
Ava and Pip might be sisters, but they couldn’t be more different. Ava is self-assured, outgoing, and bookish, whereas Pip is painfully shy, moody, and artistic. In her diary, Ava recounts her frustrations with her sister’s standoffishness and her anger at her parents when they seem to favor Pip. She also vents her disgust with Bea, a girl in Pip’s class who ruined Pip’s birthday party by having her own party on the exact same day. In her anger, Ava writes a short story which characterizes Bea as a mean queen bee intent on ruining the lives of other girls. Ava only intends to make her sister feel better, but when the story is entered into a contest and wins some recognition, Ava must suddenly face the fact that Bea will inevitably read her story. Ava expects to be ridiculed and despised for her behavior, but instead she learns about the power of forgiveness and finds herself working with Bea to bring Pip out of her shell once and for all.
Carol Weston, the author of Ava and Pip, is an advice columnist for Girl’s Life magazine, and it really shows in her writing. Not only is she aware of the issues that are important to tween girls, she also knows how they write, speak, think, interact, and solve problems. In this book, she hits the nail on the head when it comes to the way sisters relate to each other, the way shy kids react in stressful sitations, and the way it feels when a mistake gets out of hand. In addition to capturing the truth of life in middle school, she also creates a clever and enjoyable protagonist in Ava. Ava’s diary is not just a whiny litany of complaints. Rather, it is filled with witty wordplay, lists of palindromes, references to fables, wonderful insights about how kids choose and enjoy books and many quotable and laugh-out-loud funny lines. Ava also signs each diary entry in a different clever way that relates to the content of the entry preceding it, which is a nice touch that brings even more of her personality to life.
It is common for middle grade books to have a good guy (or girl) and a bad guy (or girl) and what is refreshing about this story is that there is good and bad in all the characters. Weston creates a world where nothing is black or white, but where, with the support of caring adults, kids can make their own decisions, clean up their own messes and learn from their mistakes. She also understands that girls ages 10 to 13 are still very childlike, as evidenced by the scene where Ava and her friends pretend to wear moonglasses outside at night, and the fact that one girl in Ava’s class seems to have a crush on her horse.
Though Ava and Pip technically fits into the category of diary fiction, I hope it won’t be lumped in with more commercial titles like the Dork Diaries and Wimpy Kid books, as it really outshines those more popular titles. This is a story truly worth reading, and worth sharing, especially with young girls struggling with bullying and/or shyness. Kids who read this book will be entertained, yes, but they will also be encouraged to empathize with others, to think before they act, and to strive to do the right thing even when they sometimes falter. I know it’s early in the year, but I can see already that this is going to be a 2014 favorite for me.
Read-alikes for Ava and Pip include: Ten Rules for Living with My Sister by Ann M. Martin, Can You Say Catastrophe? by Laurie Friedman, and Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary.
Carol Weston, the author of Ava and Pip, is an advice columnist for Girl’s Life magazine, and it really shows in her writing. Not only is she aware of the issues that are important to tween girls, she also knows how they write, speak, think, interact, and solve problems. In this book, she hits the nail on the head when it comes to the way sisters relate to each other, the way shy kids react in stressful sitations, and the way it feels when a mistake gets out of hand. In addition to capturing the truth of life in middle school, she also creates a clever and enjoyable protagonist in Ava. Ava’s diary is not just a whiny litany of complaints. Rather, it is filled with witty wordplay, lists of palindromes, references to fables, wonderful insights about how kids choose and enjoy books and many quotable and laugh-out-loud funny lines. Ava also signs each diary entry in a different clever way that relates to the content of the entry preceding it, which is a nice touch that brings even more of her personality to life.
It is common for middle grade books to have a good guy (or girl) and a bad guy (or girl) and what is refreshing about this story is that there is good and bad in all the characters. Weston creates a world where nothing is black or white, but where, with the support of caring adults, kids can make their own decisions, clean up their own messes and learn from their mistakes. She also understands that girls ages 10 to 13 are still very childlike, as evidenced by the scene where Ava and her friends pretend to wear moonglasses outside at night, and the fact that one girl in Ava’s class seems to have a crush on her horse.
Though Ava and Pip technically fits into the category of diary fiction, I hope it won’t be lumped in with more commercial titles like the Dork Diaries and Wimpy Kid books, as it really outshines those more popular titles. This is a story truly worth reading, and worth sharing, especially with young girls struggling with bullying and/or shyness. Kids who read this book will be entertained, yes, but they will also be encouraged to empathize with others, to think before they act, and to strive to do the right thing even when they sometimes falter. I know it’s early in the year, but I can see already that this is going to be a 2014 favorite for me.
Read-alikes for Ava and Pip include: Ten Rules for Living with My Sister by Ann M. Martin, Can You Say Catastrophe? by Laurie Friedman, and Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary.
July 3, 2014
Ava Wren is a 10 year old who has zip and personality, and wants a little recognition. Her sister, Pip, in middle school, hasn’t quite come into her own and is shy, quiet and likes to blend into the background. Mom and Dad worry about Pip and try to bring her out of her shell, so much so, that they neglect Ava.
There is always a word of encouragement for Pip, an atta boy, a pat on the back, sometimes for just doing routine things, but for Ava, even when she excels in school, makes friends and wins a writing contest her mother can’t find time or the words to tell her she is proud.
After Pip’s birthday party gets cancelled because everyone decides to go to Bea’s boy-girl party, Ava writes a story for a contest that parallels what happened with the main charter as Queen Bee. Bea reads the story and takes offense; school administrators get involved and Ava regrets writing about a situation where she didn’t have all the facts and Bea’s reputation got hurt.
She sees how quiet and withdrawn Pip is at school and decides to make a plan that Pip can follow week by week to gain self confidence and begin asserting herself. Eventually the three girls all become friends and realize that just talking to each other could have saved a lot of hurt, hard feelings and allowed a great friendship to develop.
As Pip follows Bea’s plan and comes out of her shell a little more each week Ava realizes that she can use Bea’s advice to approach her parents the same way Pip is getting up the nerve to talk to classmates.
When she approaches her mother and explains that she never gets her mom’s attention, her parents don’t have a clue what is going on with her at school or anything else that she does, Mom begins to listen and realizes that although Pip is the one who needed the attention and encouragement to be more outgoing, Ava also needed that same attention and encouragement.
This is a story of two girls finding their voice for different reasons and realizing that speaking up and addressing things head on makes sense and really isn’t as hard as it may seem.
The story is written in diary format by Ava, so we know her thoughts and feelings and we privy to her interpretations of things going on around her. Told from the point of view of a ten year old it makes the reader understand Ava and for any elementary school girls reading this book they will think she is being misunderstood by her parents and neglected in not receiving their attention.
Weston has a handle on how Ava is thinking as a ten year old and the story is believable because of the diary entry format. In addition to the satisfying story, the author includes palindromes throughout the tale (A-V-A and P-I-P). The whole family is intrigued with words, their spellings, and tries to include them when they are talking to each other. This only adds to the fun of the story as you check every time Ava makes note in her diary of another frontward and backward entry.
There is always a word of encouragement for Pip, an atta boy, a pat on the back, sometimes for just doing routine things, but for Ava, even when she excels in school, makes friends and wins a writing contest her mother can’t find time or the words to tell her she is proud.
After Pip’s birthday party gets cancelled because everyone decides to go to Bea’s boy-girl party, Ava writes a story for a contest that parallels what happened with the main charter as Queen Bee. Bea reads the story and takes offense; school administrators get involved and Ava regrets writing about a situation where she didn’t have all the facts and Bea’s reputation got hurt.
She sees how quiet and withdrawn Pip is at school and decides to make a plan that Pip can follow week by week to gain self confidence and begin asserting herself. Eventually the three girls all become friends and realize that just talking to each other could have saved a lot of hurt, hard feelings and allowed a great friendship to develop.
As Pip follows Bea’s plan and comes out of her shell a little more each week Ava realizes that she can use Bea’s advice to approach her parents the same way Pip is getting up the nerve to talk to classmates.
When she approaches her mother and explains that she never gets her mom’s attention, her parents don’t have a clue what is going on with her at school or anything else that she does, Mom begins to listen and realizes that although Pip is the one who needed the attention and encouragement to be more outgoing, Ava also needed that same attention and encouragement.
This is a story of two girls finding their voice for different reasons and realizing that speaking up and addressing things head on makes sense and really isn’t as hard as it may seem.
The story is written in diary format by Ava, so we know her thoughts and feelings and we privy to her interpretations of things going on around her. Told from the point of view of a ten year old it makes the reader understand Ava and for any elementary school girls reading this book they will think she is being misunderstood by her parents and neglected in not receiving their attention.
Weston has a handle on how Ava is thinking as a ten year old and the story is believable because of the diary entry format. In addition to the satisfying story, the author includes palindromes throughout the tale (A-V-A and P-I-P). The whole family is intrigued with words, their spellings, and tries to include them when they are talking to each other. This only adds to the fun of the story as you check every time Ava makes note in her diary of another frontward and backward entry.
April 25, 2014
As posted on Outside of a Dog:
In comedy, the “straight man” doesn’t get enough credit. The level-headed, unexcitable yin to the clownish, bumbling yang. The Marge Simpson. The Bing Crosby. The Bud Abbott. Sure the Marx Brothers are hysterical, but come on! Margaret Dumont had to run all the same scenes, and had to do so without so much as cracking a smile! It’s tough to be the “straight man”. Not only do people not understand how hard your job is, but you sometimes go unnoticed altogether. So as it is in comedy, so as it goes in life. Steadier, more sensible siblings (hello, Elinor!) are often overlooked or underestimated in contrast to their headstrong, passionate brethren (hello, Marianne!). This can be true if your sibling is a cut-up, a screw-up or just…different. This is the case of one Ava Wren, and her sister Pip, in Carol Weston’s appropriately titled, Ava and Pip.
Ava is in fifth grade. Pip is in seventh. Ava is cheerful and outgoing. Pip is not. Both girls are intelligent, and coming from a word-nerd family, prone to palindromic games (M-O-M, D-A-D, A-V-A, P-I-P). Ava has friends. Pip does not. As our epistolary story begins with Ava and her new diary, we see that though Ava tries to include her sister in games and fun, Pip is in a gloomy funk, and unfortunately for the Wren family, misery loves company. When a misunderstanding at school prompts Ava to write a mocking short story about the new girl in Pip’s class, the fallout earns Ava a new friend, a new perspective, a new backbone, and most importantly, a new way to help her sister out of the doldrums.
Ava and Pip walks a very thin tightrope above a sea filled with literary piranhas: bullying, shyness, etc. But for the most part, Ms. Weston achieves a perfect balance. Ava and Pip are carefully drawn characters, and their traits, both those they share and those they don’t, are believable. The whole family dynamic, in fact, is very germane to their situation and authentic. It’s easy to understand how M-O-M favors Pip, her eldest, her preemie, her “girl with a problem”, when Ava is so reliable and capable of looking out for herself, and it’s just as easy to feel how infinitely frustrating this is, and how unbalanced it makes the family. This is a wonderful book for teaching empathy. We get to see difficult situations from multiple sides of the story, and no one is demonized or lionized. And while Pip’s transformation seems to come a bit too quickly, and a bit too easily, and it’s important to recognize that shifting from a trait as tricky as painful shyness (with perhaps a touch of depression) is a process and requires work, Pip’s progress is encouraging, and “Pip’s Tips” might go a long way towards helping shy readers with their own blooming.
In comedy, the “straight man” doesn’t get enough credit. The level-headed, unexcitable yin to the clownish, bumbling yang. The Marge Simpson. The Bing Crosby. The Bud Abbott. Sure the Marx Brothers are hysterical, but come on! Margaret Dumont had to run all the same scenes, and had to do so without so much as cracking a smile! It’s tough to be the “straight man”. Not only do people not understand how hard your job is, but you sometimes go unnoticed altogether. So as it is in comedy, so as it goes in life. Steadier, more sensible siblings (hello, Elinor!) are often overlooked or underestimated in contrast to their headstrong, passionate brethren (hello, Marianne!). This can be true if your sibling is a cut-up, a screw-up or just…different. This is the case of one Ava Wren, and her sister Pip, in Carol Weston’s appropriately titled, Ava and Pip.
Ava is in fifth grade. Pip is in seventh. Ava is cheerful and outgoing. Pip is not. Both girls are intelligent, and coming from a word-nerd family, prone to palindromic games (M-O-M, D-A-D, A-V-A, P-I-P). Ava has friends. Pip does not. As our epistolary story begins with Ava and her new diary, we see that though Ava tries to include her sister in games and fun, Pip is in a gloomy funk, and unfortunately for the Wren family, misery loves company. When a misunderstanding at school prompts Ava to write a mocking short story about the new girl in Pip’s class, the fallout earns Ava a new friend, a new perspective, a new backbone, and most importantly, a new way to help her sister out of the doldrums.
Ava and Pip walks a very thin tightrope above a sea filled with literary piranhas: bullying, shyness, etc. But for the most part, Ms. Weston achieves a perfect balance. Ava and Pip are carefully drawn characters, and their traits, both those they share and those they don’t, are believable. The whole family dynamic, in fact, is very germane to their situation and authentic. It’s easy to understand how M-O-M favors Pip, her eldest, her preemie, her “girl with a problem”, when Ava is so reliable and capable of looking out for herself, and it’s just as easy to feel how infinitely frustrating this is, and how unbalanced it makes the family. This is a wonderful book for teaching empathy. We get to see difficult situations from multiple sides of the story, and no one is demonized or lionized. And while Pip’s transformation seems to come a bit too quickly, and a bit too easily, and it’s important to recognize that shifting from a trait as tricky as painful shyness (with perhaps a touch of depression) is a process and requires work, Pip’s progress is encouraging, and “Pip’s Tips” might go a long way towards helping shy readers with their own blooming.
February 14, 2016
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a terrific fun book. I liked the word plays, the puns, the palindromes, however, it was at times a bit too much, and at times I was just bored with it. I think it was better if it was a few word stuff at a time.
Ava is a wonderful character, she is really cute and does her best (in school, for her parents, for her sister), sadly her parents don't really notice her most of the times. I was amazed that she got a 100 on every spelling test, and I was even more amazed at the total lack of care or interest by the parents. I would be super proud of my kid if she or he would get 100's at tests. (more on the parents in a later paragraph)
Ava is really smart too, though she makes some decisions in this book that she should have thought over first, but she is a kid, so I am sure this is a wise lesson for her.
Now for the other characters. First, the parents. My, oh my, they were good parents, but hello? You also have another kid, a kid who might seem to be doing fine, a kid who seems to be independent, but come on, she is 10, give a bit of attention to her too. Give her a big birthday party, praise her for her good things, don't just ignore her and whenever it comes out best be there for her. I am glad that at the ending the parents and Ava had a good chat about things, and I hope the new situation will stay like this for a good long time.
I really hope she will be able to pursue a career in writing, since it seems she really got a talent for it.
Bea and Pip were fun characters. I liked how they both grew and learned from each other.
I also really liked that this book was in diary format, though it was a bit boring that we sometimes have only a few sentences per page.
There is one thing I am hoping for. That is that this book gets a sequel. I want to know how it is going with Ava, I want to know how Ben and Pip are doing and some other things as well.
All in all, a really fun kids book. I would really recommend it to kids, or to people who (like me) like to read children's books. This one is really a nice and fun book about growing up and learning wise lessons about important things.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
This was a terrific fun book. I liked the word plays, the puns, the palindromes, however, it was at times a bit too much, and at times I was just bored with it. I think it was better if it was a few word stuff at a time.
Ava is a wonderful character, she is really cute and does her best (in school, for her parents, for her sister), sadly her parents don't really notice her most of the times. I was amazed that she got a 100 on every spelling test, and I was even more amazed at the total lack of care or interest by the parents. I would be super proud of my kid if she or he would get 100's at tests. (more on the parents in a later paragraph)
Ava is really smart too, though she makes some decisions in this book that she should have thought over first, but she is a kid, so I am sure this is a wise lesson for her.
Now for the other characters. First, the parents. My, oh my, they were good parents, but hello? You also have another kid, a kid who might seem to be doing fine, a kid who seems to be independent, but come on, she is 10, give a bit of attention to her too. Give her a big birthday party, praise her for her good things, don't just ignore her and whenever it comes out best be there for her. I am glad that at the ending the parents and Ava had a good chat about things, and I hope the new situation will stay like this for a good long time.
I really hope she will be able to pursue a career in writing, since it seems she really got a talent for it.
Bea and Pip were fun characters. I liked how they both grew and learned from each other.
I also really liked that this book was in diary format, though it was a bit boring that we sometimes have only a few sentences per page.
There is one thing I am hoping for. That is that this book gets a sequel. I want to know how it is going with Ava, I want to know how Ben and Pip are doing and some other things as well.
All in all, a really fun kids book. I would really recommend it to kids, or to people who (like me) like to read children's books. This one is really a nice and fun book about growing up and learning wise lessons about important things.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
January 5, 2014
Very few children's books bring education with fun, although many promise the same. This delivers more than what is promised..
Ava and Pip are sisters, belonging to a family of word nerds. With a beautiful family with members named after palindromes - BOB (DAD), ANNA (MOM), PIP and AVA, the family faces some small issues and that is what the readers know through Ava's diary.
Ava is our normal kid who loves her older sister, Pip. But, she has her issues.. Pip is an extreme introvert, not speaking with anyone and keeping to herself. Her family give Pip more care and support, with the result of Ava being ignored. When Pip has a birthday party, her friends cancel on her at the last minute giving lame excuses and the true reason being Pip's classmate Bea Bates having the first boy-girl party of the year. When Pip shares this to Ava, Ava writes a story about a rude Bea stung by a queen bee for a competition. This got 'honorable' mention and soon everyone knows that Ava has written about the real life girl, who we come know is so different than what Ava thought. When the girls come face to face with each other and everything in life changes...
I am new to Carol Weston's books and I am greatly impressed. One can't expect a better book for kids, which imbibe good qualities and education in such a perfect way. Without even knowing that they learn, kids will learn many new words, palindromes and homonyms. And yes, there is a great story as well...with a moral.
It took me a couple of hours to finish this book, but I can't put this book down. This is the first children's book that kept me late from sleep. It's absolutely perfect unadulterated fun. In author's own words, this is
"about a good kid who does a bad thing and sometimes feels invisible, but who helps her sister find her voice and ends up finding her own"
This is like reading "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" book, but this kid is not wimpy, but smart, funny, kind and intelligent, and of course, a cute word nerd.
If you have a kid, this is a MUST-BUY! I assure you that they will enjoy this more than you think..
Ava and Pip are sisters, belonging to a family of word nerds. With a beautiful family with members named after palindromes - BOB (DAD), ANNA (MOM), PIP and AVA, the family faces some small issues and that is what the readers know through Ava's diary.
Ava is our normal kid who loves her older sister, Pip. But, she has her issues.. Pip is an extreme introvert, not speaking with anyone and keeping to herself. Her family give Pip more care and support, with the result of Ava being ignored. When Pip has a birthday party, her friends cancel on her at the last minute giving lame excuses and the true reason being Pip's classmate Bea Bates having the first boy-girl party of the year. When Pip shares this to Ava, Ava writes a story about a rude Bea stung by a queen bee for a competition. This got 'honorable' mention and soon everyone knows that Ava has written about the real life girl, who we come know is so different than what Ava thought. When the girls come face to face with each other and everything in life changes...
I am new to Carol Weston's books and I am greatly impressed. One can't expect a better book for kids, which imbibe good qualities and education in such a perfect way. Without even knowing that they learn, kids will learn many new words, palindromes and homonyms. And yes, there is a great story as well...with a moral.
It took me a couple of hours to finish this book, but I can't put this book down. This is the first children's book that kept me late from sleep. It's absolutely perfect unadulterated fun. In author's own words, this is
"about a good kid who does a bad thing and sometimes feels invisible, but who helps her sister find her voice and ends up finding her own"
This is like reading "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" book, but this kid is not wimpy, but smart, funny, kind and intelligent, and of course, a cute word nerd.
If you have a kid, this is a MUST-BUY! I assure you that they will enjoy this more than you think..
May 28, 2014
One of the most endearing and tender children's books I've read in 2014 is "Ava and Pip". Ava Elle Wren is a precocious ten year old who loves the written word and has a talent for writing. Her sister Pip who's two years older is extremely shy and loves to draw and read. When Pip's meagre friends decline her birthday invitations in favour of going to a boy-girl party at Bea Bates house, Ave is furious. Suddenly, instead of a writer's block she's inspired and pens a story that she submits in a contest. What Ava doesn't realize is that appearances can be deceiving, and that trying to help someone you love can have painful consequences.
I loved Carol Weston's unique and creative use of the "palindrome," a word, line, sentence, number or verse that's the same forwards as backwards". I chuckled when Ava and her family's game seem to have a ripple effect . And I really enjoyed the shy attraction that develops between Ben Bates and Pip, both who struggle with shyness. Written as a diary each entry is signed by Ava with a descriptive word or phrase attached depicting how she feels. And amid elements of friendship, love, and family so predominate in the plot are wonderful themes like respecting others, liking yourself and others. These are especially captured in the assignments Bea and Ava develop to help Pip overcome her timidity and unsociability.
In this story Ava is a rambunctious, honest and fearless grade fiver whose personality contrasts sharply with Pip's. Her thirteen year old sister is smart, hardworking but shy and reclusive. Overprotected by loving parents and a loner at school Pip's sensitive to the taunts of bullies. Bea Bates who knows what it's like to be bullied and who has a introverted brother is outgoing, amiable, encouraging and wise. With Bea's friendship, Ava learns about forgiveness, trust and acceptance.
This is a fascinating and entertaining story for tweens which I plan to promote at my library.
I loved Carol Weston's unique and creative use of the "palindrome," a word, line, sentence, number or verse that's the same forwards as backwards". I chuckled when Ava and her family's game seem to have a ripple effect . And I really enjoyed the shy attraction that develops between Ben Bates and Pip, both who struggle with shyness. Written as a diary each entry is signed by Ava with a descriptive word or phrase attached depicting how she feels. And amid elements of friendship, love, and family so predominate in the plot are wonderful themes like respecting others, liking yourself and others. These are especially captured in the assignments Bea and Ava develop to help Pip overcome her timidity and unsociability.
In this story Ava is a rambunctious, honest and fearless grade fiver whose personality contrasts sharply with Pip's. Her thirteen year old sister is smart, hardworking but shy and reclusive. Overprotected by loving parents and a loner at school Pip's sensitive to the taunts of bullies. Bea Bates who knows what it's like to be bullied and who has a introverted brother is outgoing, amiable, encouraging and wise. With Bea's friendship, Ava learns about forgiveness, trust and acceptance.
This is a fascinating and entertaining story for tweens which I plan to promote at my library.
July 13, 2014
The author is the Dear Carol advice columnist at Girl's Life Magazine. I really liked the way she told a contemporary story while making it fun to read. Plus, the added bonus of incorporating fun word play and lessons on parts of speech was great. Very clever.
The book is appropriate reading for 5th through 8th grade girls. It is written in diary form by the main character Ava. Pip is her 8th grade sister and they couldn't be more different. Ava is outgoing while Pip is very quiet and shy. She doesn't have friends and the family worries about her. Ava enters an essay contest and writes an interesting essay about a classmate of Pip's that the girls have perceived as sabotaging Pip's big birthday party. Although she doesn't mention the classmate by name, not directly anyway, the subject of her essay becomes known when her essay receives Honorable Mention and becomes public. The title of her essay was "Sting of the Queen Bee". The classmate's name was Bea. Some good lessons are learned in this story. Written words can come back to haunt you especially when they are about to be posted on line. So appropriate for today's Internet and technology issues. Lessons about jumping to conclusions when you don't have the full story. Having to face the consequence of making a bad choice and how to be mature about it.
In addition, word play and parts of speech are interwoven throughout the story. Clearly Carol Weston has a love for words. At the beginning of the story Ava finds out that her family's names are all palindromes. From that point on you will see palindromes popping up in the story. Ava has fun with palindromes after that as well as similes and homonyms. I found myself looking for palindromes too.
The book is appropriate reading for 5th through 8th grade girls. It is written in diary form by the main character Ava. Pip is her 8th grade sister and they couldn't be more different. Ava is outgoing while Pip is very quiet and shy. She doesn't have friends and the family worries about her. Ava enters an essay contest and writes an interesting essay about a classmate of Pip's that the girls have perceived as sabotaging Pip's big birthday party. Although she doesn't mention the classmate by name, not directly anyway, the subject of her essay becomes known when her essay receives Honorable Mention and becomes public. The title of her essay was "Sting of the Queen Bee". The classmate's name was Bea. Some good lessons are learned in this story. Written words can come back to haunt you especially when they are about to be posted on line. So appropriate for today's Internet and technology issues. Lessons about jumping to conclusions when you don't have the full story. Having to face the consequence of making a bad choice and how to be mature about it.
In addition, word play and parts of speech are interwoven throughout the story. Clearly Carol Weston has a love for words. At the beginning of the story Ava finds out that her family's names are all palindromes. From that point on you will see palindromes popping up in the story. Ava has fun with palindromes after that as well as similes and homonyms. I found myself looking for palindromes too.
December 26, 2014
I really liked this story of two sisters who are total opposites, but come together as friends regardless of their differences. Ava is the younger sister, but much more outgoing than super shy Pip, who talks at home, but at school hardly opens her mouth. Most kids think she's weird or just don't notice her at all b/c she's so quiet. Ava loves to write, but Pip is an artist. For Pip's 13th birthday, she invites a few friends over to spend the night. But the day before the party they all start backing out. It seems that Bea, the new popular girl is school is having a boy/girl party that night, and all of Pip's guests are opting for the more exciting option. Pip is devastated, and comes home in tears - but Ava is angry. So angry that she writes a short story about a mean, friend stealing girl named Bea who gets her comeuppance at the end and enters it in the writing contest being held at the local contest. I'm sure you can guess what happens next! Ava wins the contest, and the real Bea reads her story. And realizes that it's all about her. And is NOT happy with Ava! But it turns out that Bea isn't so bad after all, and when she finds out what motivated Ava to write her story she decides that she and Ava need to help Pip come out of her shell. This is a fun girl's story and is sure to be popular with upper elementary readers. And if a reader happens to be shy like Pip she will get some great tips about that in this book!
February 5, 2014
Ava and Pip has all the elements of a middle grade book that I particularly love. The characters are sympathetic and easy to relate to, the plot feels real with the word play blended in quite well, and a story of friendship and sisterhood that deserves to be considered. I really enjoyed reading this book, I found Ava, an enjoyable narrator, even though I could more easily relate to her sister, Pip, the one who struggles to make friends and even talk at school. Yep, that was me. But I was also lucky in that I had three sisters at home who were friends (most of the time) and who I still consider my best friends. I love the fact that despite how left out Ava feels with all the attention her parents give to Pip that she still wants to help her sister. And yet her hasty actions create new problems that she struggles to deal with, feeling like her parents won't listen to her so why try to tell them. But like many kids she finds writing in her diary a solace and a way to deal with the variety of emotions she faces. A fun new book great for readers who enjoy stories of family, friendship, and facing one's own mistakes.
August 9, 2014
Ava and Pip by Carol Weston
Thoughts about the book:
This was a book I didn’t want to stop reading. Perfect middle grade with a connection to middle school as well. I loved the little sister, Ava, feeling neglected and not knowing how to speak up to her parents with a “pay attention to me too” message. The parents felt that she was more self sufficient and they were more concerned with how the older sister, Pip, was doing it was eye opening and touching to read.
My favorite part besides the word play, language celebrations, and book love (one of the main character’s families owns a bookstore) was that Ava took it upon herself to help her sister come out of her shell and not be so shy. Ava owning up to her mistakes was also quite brilliantly developed in the book. The growth of every character was quite beautiful. Highly recommended!!
Favorite book moments were:
“Her moods are contagious– I’m like a sponge for bad feelings.”
“Here’s what else I think: you can’t force people to change, but you can help them try.”
“Okay,” I said, glad that at least Mr. Ramirez knows I’m not a bad person- I’m just a person who did a bad thing.”
Thoughts about the book:
This was a book I didn’t want to stop reading. Perfect middle grade with a connection to middle school as well. I loved the little sister, Ava, feeling neglected and not knowing how to speak up to her parents with a “pay attention to me too” message. The parents felt that she was more self sufficient and they were more concerned with how the older sister, Pip, was doing it was eye opening and touching to read.
My favorite part besides the word play, language celebrations, and book love (one of the main character’s families owns a bookstore) was that Ava took it upon herself to help her sister come out of her shell and not be so shy. Ava owning up to her mistakes was also quite brilliantly developed in the book. The growth of every character was quite beautiful. Highly recommended!!
Favorite book moments were:
“Her moods are contagious– I’m like a sponge for bad feelings.”
“Here’s what else I think: you can’t force people to change, but you can help them try.”
“Okay,” I said, glad that at least Mr. Ramirez knows I’m not a bad person- I’m just a person who did a bad thing.”
May 29, 2015
Ava and Pip are sisters that are as different as can be. Ava is outgoing and speaks her mind, she's tall and loves to write. Pip is a good artist, but she's shy, small for her age and very very quiet.
Ava writes in her diary everything that she cannot say to her parents and sister. Sometimes she feels left out when mom and dad spend so much time fussing over Pip. Ava doesn't understand why Pip gets so moody all the time.
But, still they're sisters and Ava loves Pip and wants to help her. She tries to cheer Pip up by writing a story about a new girl in school who ruins Pip's birthday party. When the story is nominated for a writing contest things get messy. Especially when Bea, the new girl, reads the story and confronts Ava.
The other special thing about this story, you may have noticed, that Pip and Ava’s names are both palindromes. A palindrome is a word that spells the same thing forwards and backwards, like “Mom” or “Dad,” both Pip and Ava are fans of funny words and making up new palindromes, just like their word crazy parents. But, will Ava’s writing and Pip’s art be able to fix things when the new girl challenges them?
Ava writes in her diary everything that she cannot say to her parents and sister. Sometimes she feels left out when mom and dad spend so much time fussing over Pip. Ava doesn't understand why Pip gets so moody all the time.
But, still they're sisters and Ava loves Pip and wants to help her. She tries to cheer Pip up by writing a story about a new girl in school who ruins Pip's birthday party. When the story is nominated for a writing contest things get messy. Especially when Bea, the new girl, reads the story and confronts Ava.
The other special thing about this story, you may have noticed, that Pip and Ava’s names are both palindromes. A palindrome is a word that spells the same thing forwards and backwards, like “Mom” or “Dad,” both Pip and Ava are fans of funny words and making up new palindromes, just like their word crazy parents. But, will Ava’s writing and Pip’s art be able to fix things when the new girl challenges them?
December 16, 2013
This is a lovely book for tweens. Ava, an out-going fifth grader is the narrator in diary form, who seems to be following in her father's footsteps as a writer. Pip is two years older, painfully shy, loves to read and sketch. When Pip's birthday party is waylaid by a party given the same nght by a new girl in school, Ava writes a not-so-well camouflaged story about the new girl stealing other people's friends. The story wins a prize, the new girl (also a prize winner) reads the story and confronts Ava, as does the girl's mother, and Ava learns first hand how powerful words can be and how they can have long-term effects. She also learns that initial impressions can be wrong. The new girl turns out not to be mean at all, and even helps Ava help Pip come out of her shell. Other family dynamics are also touched upon. Just an all around great book for this age!! I highly recommend it for anyone with tweens when the book is released in March 2014. Many thanks to the author and publisher for allowing me to read the advance copy of this book!
July 1, 2014
The cover is deceiving, this convincing story is for tween girls who are discovering their possibilities, yet the cover appears to be a story for younger readers. Ava and her older sister Pip couldn't be more opposite, both academic achievers, older sister Pip is a recluse known for her talent in art, and outgoing, gregarious Ava is talented in writing. Ava enters a writing competition and using the new girl Bea in her sister's class as the main character, depicts her as the evil game changer of the class, in her dramatic story. The new girl Bea finds out, by reading Ava's published story and confronts her. After Ava realizes she was mistaken about Bea, the two girls work out a compromise that helps Ava's too shy sister Pip. Bea's 5 steps for helping Pip make friends and overcome shyness are clever and will help girls who are too shy or lack empathy. This positive realistic tale full of entertaining girl drama, palindromes, alliteration, homophones and a great deal of humor, will be devoured by readers going through the same true to life dilemmas themselves.
June 30, 2014
This was a wonderfully balanced book. I thought the author did a great job making this book fun, but also filled with subtle lessons. For a moment I felt like I was in the 5th grade again.
Ava was a great character, unashamedly smart with a good heart. I loved the way the author gave tips for overcoming shyness. They were practical and didn't include "get over it." Any young reader who is struggling with that can try those out in their life. I thought there were lots of great advice for being a young author too.Ava learned a good lesson about how much effect words can have on people. The family dynamic was very real. I remember feeling the way Ava did with my brother. He struggled in school, and I always excelled. My parents always fretted and encouraged him, while I felt left out. I cannot imagine how hard it must be to write children's books, trying to make them fun and relatable, but also including a subtle message. The author achieved that!
Ava was a great character, unashamedly smart with a good heart. I loved the way the author gave tips for overcoming shyness. They were practical and didn't include "get over it." Any young reader who is struggling with that can try those out in their life. I thought there were lots of great advice for being a young author too.Ava learned a good lesson about how much effect words can have on people. The family dynamic was very real. I remember feeling the way Ava did with my brother. He struggled in school, and I always excelled. My parents always fretted and encouraged him, while I felt left out. I cannot imagine how hard it must be to write children's books, trying to make them fun and relatable, but also including a subtle message. The author achieved that!
July 22, 2016
This is a story about one girl who is shy, and one who is not. They are sisters, and they are complete opposites. They get on each others nerves, but they look out for each other, too.
This book is delightful. I loved having Ava as a narrator. She is quirky (her whole family is quirky) and funny. Some of her one line zingers made me laugh out loud. I like that she isn't perfect, and how she learns from her mistakes. I like her spunk and her bravery. I love that she never gives up on her sister, even when her own feelings get smushed.
With a great voice that's packed with humor, Ava and Pip is educational and lighthearted. Highly recommended for shy kids, their siblings, and anyone that knows a shy kid.
Content: Clean
My blog: Batch of Books
This book is delightful. I loved having Ava as a narrator. She is quirky (her whole family is quirky) and funny. Some of her one line zingers made me laugh out loud. I like that she isn't perfect, and how she learns from her mistakes. I like her spunk and her bravery. I love that she never gives up on her sister, even when her own feelings get smushed.
With a great voice that's packed with humor, Ava and Pip is educational and lighthearted. Highly recommended for shy kids, their siblings, and anyone that knows a shy kid.
Content: Clean
My blog: Batch of Books
August 9, 2014
This fun little book will be so great for school! It's about two sisters who are very different, Pip is very quiet (and apparently has had some "issues" which are unnamed) and her sister Ava, who is not so quiet. They come from a family of word nerds-their parents are Anna and Bob and so their names are also palindromes. The big issue of the story is about how you help people and how do you solve problems. Pip plans a birthday party but then a new girl plans a party for the same day. Pip's feelings are hurt but she doesn't really tell anyone. To make her feel better, Ava writes a fable about the girl and it wins a prize at the local library. The girl figures out that the story was about her and confronts Ava. Ava apologizes and they become friends and then both of them try to help Pip be more outgoing. Loved, loved, loved this book.
January 18, 2016
As a facilitator of a cozy mother-daughter book club, I can recommend this series as a beloved choice for younger reluctant readers as well as book-devouring sixth graders. The complexities of sibling relationships and family dynamics are constructed through diary entries, a style that young readers are drawn to. Alternatives to the mean-girl culture abound, and solutions arrive through creative writing and a celebration of the healing effects of conversation. Amazing! This book is a trip through sisterhood, friendship and problem-solving, guaranteed to ignite reader's imaginations. Funny and immensely readable, this is a wonderful gift book; I'm giving this as Bat Mitvah gifts to twin girls- readers and diarists who will be unable to put down the expanded Ava series.
February 13, 2022
Popsugar Challenge 2022 - A Book with a Palindromic Title
I chose this book (the whole series) because every title is a Palindromic.
I actually enjoyed the first book, so many wordplays and written as Pip the younger sister's diary. I will be reading book 2 (Ava and Taco Cat) tomorrow, I hope it is just as fun. 3.5 stars
I chose this book (the whole series) because every title is a Palindromic.
I actually enjoyed the first book, so many wordplays and written as Pip the younger sister's diary. I will be reading book 2 (Ava and Taco Cat) tomorrow, I hope it is just as fun. 3.5 stars
June 23, 2014
Huge thank you to Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and Netgalley for this ARC!
I grabbed Ava and Pip on a whim because I absolutely fell in love with the cover. Turns out that this pretty cover wasn't a fluke either! There's a lot of charm to this novel told entirely through Avas journal entries. She wants to help her sister be social and more outgoing, but doesn't entirely understand the sometimes consequences of being who you are in the process.
I think what I loved the most was how genuine the sisters relationship was written. They fight, make up, hug it out, and fight some more like sisters. Interestingly Pip has just as many flaws as her younger sister, and yet it's interesting how the two characters grow and learn to accept that flaws are a part of who one is and ultimately, it's part of the growing process.
Ava is interesting mostly because she can be malicious without understanding what's entirely wrong with it. She's not the nicest girl, but her position is one that any left out feeling girl would completely understand. We all want attention in different ways, and Ava feels that she is being neglected by her parents. One moment I loved is when Ava's mother tells her "It's not so much neglect as we have to worry about you less because you are so independent." It's funny how many times I've heard that in my own life, and when you're born into a family with two kids, that always seems to be the case.
Ava and Pip is funny, charming, and completely something I think many children would easily relate to. Weston has a knack for writing characters who are both approachable but flawed, and that I can say is easily what I enjoyed the most about this book. This is a great contemporary middle grade read that I think even a picky reader could easily pick up and enjoy without fuss.
I grabbed Ava and Pip on a whim because I absolutely fell in love with the cover. Turns out that this pretty cover wasn't a fluke either! There's a lot of charm to this novel told entirely through Avas journal entries. She wants to help her sister be social and more outgoing, but doesn't entirely understand the sometimes consequences of being who you are in the process.
I think what I loved the most was how genuine the sisters relationship was written. They fight, make up, hug it out, and fight some more like sisters. Interestingly Pip has just as many flaws as her younger sister, and yet it's interesting how the two characters grow and learn to accept that flaws are a part of who one is and ultimately, it's part of the growing process.
Ava is interesting mostly because she can be malicious without understanding what's entirely wrong with it. She's not the nicest girl, but her position is one that any left out feeling girl would completely understand. We all want attention in different ways, and Ava feels that she is being neglected by her parents. One moment I loved is when Ava's mother tells her "It's not so much neglect as we have to worry about you less because you are so independent." It's funny how many times I've heard that in my own life, and when you're born into a family with two kids, that always seems to be the case.
Ava and Pip is funny, charming, and completely something I think many children would easily relate to. Weston has a knack for writing characters who are both approachable but flawed, and that I can say is easily what I enjoyed the most about this book. This is a great contemporary middle grade read that I think even a picky reader could easily pick up and enjoy without fuss.
April 27, 2015
Ava is an outgoing 5th grader and budding author whose family loves words and plays games with palindromes, homonyms, metaphors, and spelling patterns at the dinner table. Each chapter is a journal entry in which Ava writes about her experiences, private thoughts and feelings. She often feels overlooked at home and although sometimes is frustrated or jealous of her older shy older sister, she is also protective. Her loyalty gets her into a bit of trouble as she makes the mistake of writing about the new girl in school who inadvertently hurt her sister’s feelings by excluding her. Ava is not an intentional bully, so when the story wins a contest and is to be published she understands her mistake and endeavors to make amends. She not only learns an important lesson, but is also able to secretly help her sister build self-confidence and make friends as well. This book is filled with intelligent, playful language, wordplay, and literary references. Ava is a positive role model for young writers and middle grade readers will relate to her plight and applaud her successes.
August 11, 2016
**This book was given to my by the publisher to review. Thank you, Smith Publicity!**
"Ava and Pip" introduces readers to two word-nerd sisters navigating the world of middle school. Ava, the book's narrator, is an outgoing aspiring writer who feels as though her parents pay more attention to her older sister, Pip. Pip is very quiet and shy in comparison to Ava, often having difficulties adjusting to social situations and life changes. While Ava understands that this warrants her parents' attention to be on Pip, it doesn't make it less difficult for her. Throughout the book, both sisters learn self-confidence, how to stand up for yourself, and understanding that sometimes doing what seems like the right thing can actually be detrimental. I wish this book was around when I was a kiddo - I'm definitely going to buy this for my younger cousins! Great life lessons, great vocabulary-building. 4 stars!
"Ava and Pip" introduces readers to two word-nerd sisters navigating the world of middle school. Ava, the book's narrator, is an outgoing aspiring writer who feels as though her parents pay more attention to her older sister, Pip. Pip is very quiet and shy in comparison to Ava, often having difficulties adjusting to social situations and life changes. While Ava understands that this warrants her parents' attention to be on Pip, it doesn't make it less difficult for her. Throughout the book, both sisters learn self-confidence, how to stand up for yourself, and understanding that sometimes doing what seems like the right thing can actually be detrimental. I wish this book was around when I was a kiddo - I'm definitely going to buy this for my younger cousins! Great life lessons, great vocabulary-building. 4 stars!
April 30, 2014
Two things I will admit: one, I am twenty-three years old and, while a huge lover of children's literature, not the target audience for this book. Two, while I really enjoyed this book, I admit that that pleasure was compounded (if not changed) by the fact that I am a Middlebury alum, and Weston apparently has an MA there and has taught there before.
All that aside, though, I really did enjoy this book. Such a sweet tone, full of good lessons without a preachy tone, and sweet characters you care about. Sometimes the diary style with Ava's intense feelings were a bit much for me--but, like I said, I'm not the target audience. I suspect children would learn a handful of new words, enjoy the wordplay as much as I did, and feel warm and fuzzy inside after reading this book.
All that aside, though, I really did enjoy this book. Such a sweet tone, full of good lessons without a preachy tone, and sweet characters you care about. Sometimes the diary style with Ava's intense feelings were a bit much for me--but, like I said, I'm not the target audience. I suspect children would learn a handful of new words, enjoy the wordplay as much as I did, and feel warm and fuzzy inside after reading this book.
August 3, 2014
Ava and Pip is a coming-of-age tale of two sisters, told through the lens of the younger sister's diary. Ava is younger, but taller and more outgoing. Pip is older, but is painfully shy. There are very realistic family dynamics at play here- fighting with each other, standing up for each other, feeling like the other child has more of your parents' attention. As Pip starts to come out of her shell, Ava also comes into her own and finally has an answer to what she wants to do when she grows up. The whole family is also nutty about words, especially palindromes, so those are spread throughout the story.
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