Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Violet Mackerel's Personal Space by Anna Branford; Book Review



By: Anna Branford
Published by: Atheneum
Released on: 9/3/3
Source: book from publisher to review, in exchange for my honest review
Ages: 8 & up
Rating: 4 Owlets - We Enjoyed It
Purchase from: Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads

Is it possible to leave a piece of you wherever you go? Violet Mackerel thinks so in this fourth illustrated chapter book of a charming series.

Violet Mackerel believes that wherever you leave something small, a tiny part of you gets to stay too—like how the little piece of green sea glass under the mattress at the beach house means that a little piece of Violet gets to stay on summer holiday.

Violet’s theory is put to the test when Mama and Vincent announce some very special news: They are going to get married. And they are all going to move. Violet is excited for the wedding, but Dylan is angry about the move. Normally, it is nice to be inside with your family when there is a big noisy storm outside and there is pumpkin soup for dinner and something on TV about penguins. But it is hard to enjoy it when your brother is outside in the garden in a leaky tent.

When Dylan won’t budge, the wedding preparations feel a bit sad. But just in time, Violet thinks of the perfect way to help Dylan feel better about moving. And her Theory of Leaving Small Things Behind is going to come in handy!


I love it when my kids find a book that is just right for them to read. With it's cute illustrations, good characters, easy to read text, and short chapters, this was just right for my daughter. 

Violet's mom is getting married! While Violet is excited, her brother is not. It's hard for Violet, and her Mom having her brother Dylan not be happy about it, even though their mom talked to them about it. Branford does a great job at writing the emotional part of Violet's story in away that young readers can identify with and/or relate to. Violet's Mom, her fiancé Vincent, and Violet and her sister handle the situation in a way that was fitting for Dylan, and allowed him the space he needed. I like that Branford doesn't sugar coat things in this story, yet she still kept things simple and easy for young readers.

With the excitement of her Mom's marriage, Violet has to learn to deal with her own nerves about moving. She's moving from the only house she's ever grown up in, into a brand new house after her mom and Vincent's wedding. The feelings Violet has, are ones young readers will understand. Thankfully she has her brother and family there to support her, and talk it over with her. She realizes that her home is where her family is, even though she's sad about leaving the house she has grown up in, and feels most comfortable in.

 I think this is a great book for kids who are dealing with a parent who's getting remarried, and moving. This topic is not one I've read about before in a KidLit book. I liked how Branford's characters handled everything. The entire situation, and the reactions from each of the characters are completely relateable. It's written in a way that children will understand it. What Violet and her family deal with, are things some readers are going through, and they'll be able to understand the things they're feeling a little bit more through Violet's own story. Violet's story is great read, even for those who are not going through what she is.

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~