Grape, Again!

Description

Good news! Principal Clarkson says Grape is ready for junior high. He doesn't have to go to Riverwash, the school for troubled kids! But there's also bad news. Grape's best friend, Lou, has moved to New York, leaving Grape alone to ride his Evel Knievel bike, sail with his family, and start his bar mitzvah training-all this while navigating a new school with new teachers, and, of course, the "spiders" in his brain. To make matters worse, Clair, Grape's crush, has eyes on Maxwell, the new kid with feathered hair. Sherman and Bully Jim provide some company, but it's his bond with Heidi-a wheelie-popping, cigarette-smoking foster kid-that teaches him what matters most in life. Full of hilarity and sadness, confusion and love, Grape, Again! is an unforgettable coming-of-age story.

Gabriel Arquilevich is the author of Writing for 100 Days (Fairview), which was named Cathy Duffy's Top 101 Picks for homeschoolers. His poetry, published widely, has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. His debut upper middle-grade work of fiction, Grape!, is featured in Melissa Hart's anthology: Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens and Teens (Sasquatch 2019). He lives in Meiners Oaks, CA.

"Grape is growing up and learning some bittersweet truths in the process, but he's also the same irrepressible, hilarious, curious, one-of-a-kind kid I adored in the first book. What a joy to spend more time with him Grape, Again! pops exhilarating wheelies in every inch of my heart." Gayle Brandeis, award-winning author of My Life with the Lincolns "If you fell in love with Grape the first time around, you'll love this sequel which follows Grape's tumultuous (and sometimes hilarious) journey toward his Bar Mitzvah, all the while navigating the loss of his best friend and the unexpected gift of another. How will he learn enough Hebrew? Is Bully Jim a friend or foe? Will he ever learn to pop a wheelie? Young readers will delight in Grape's antics as he faces the challenges of adolescence with honesty, humor, and a big dollop of genuine wisdom." Meredy Benson Rice, author of Dreamcatcher, and The Wisdom Palace "Grape is 'one of my favorite little fictional dudes of all time.'" Joe Walters, Editor-in-Chief, Independent Book Review