Almost Home

Author: Joan Bauer

Publisher: Penguin Group

Sugar Mae Cole has never had the most stable life. Her father, a gambling and drinking man, leaves and returns randomly. Her grandfather recently died. And now her mother can’t pay for their house and they are forced to leave their home. But Sugar’s mother is taking Sugar to a family member’s house who emailed her about a great job she holds. But when they get there and Sugar’s mother breaks down under the stress she’s been under, Sugar suddenly has to grow up a lot. Will Sugar and her new puppy, Shush, be able to take the stress, or will she break down like her mother?

Almost Home is definitely a book that girl’s would like that boys wouldn’t like. Anyone who likes dogs, puppies, or any animal or owns one will love Shush and understand Sugar’s strong love of Shush. Anyone from fifth grade to eighth grade would enjoy this read.

I really enjoyed Almost Home. The way that the author describes things and Sugar make the story incredibly realistic. Each character was very unique and that made the story very good. Another thing I liked was the main storyline. It was interesting and was clear throughout the story, unlike some books where the plot gets lost. Almost Home is an all-around magnificent book.