This slender novel about a silent child speaks loudly to the healing power of relationships, both human and canine. "Everything is right around the corner, Judith. You just have to make it happen." These encouraging words present a particular challenge to Judith Ann Magennis, a fifth grader who hasn't spoken since her mother abandoned her years earlier. "Something had to be crazy about a girl who talked to a mirror instead of people, a girl whose mother took off and left her," Judith tells herself. Raised by her loving Aunt Cora on an island off Maine (and nicknamed Jubilee because, "You're a celebration!"), Judith wants desperately to feel normal in her mainstreamed classroom; instead, she is hurt as peers cast her aside in misunderstanding. Can a dog and an unlikely new friend, both castoffs in their own ways, help Judith take steps toward speaking again? Giff (Until I Find Julian) fills Judith's story with bighearted characters and a palpable sense of place that readers will be glad to spend time with. Ages 8-12. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 4-7-Jubilee lives on an island with her aunt Cora. Jubilee hasn't spoken a word to any person since her mother dropped her off to live there when she was little. Instead, she communicates with gestures, taps, and drawings. A school psychologist diagnosed the girl with selective mutism. Jubilee has just started fifth grade when she meets Mason, a "sloppy kid who talks too much." They are paired together for a class project, and Mason does not mind that she doesn't talk. He encourages her to draw cartoons to use for their project. Amid the school project, the core of the story revolves around Jubilee longing to meet her mother and learn why she left. Jubilee thinks that in solving the mystery, she will get her speech back. When a birthday card for Aunt Cora arrives from her mother, Jubilee discovers that her mom has moved back to the mainland nearby. Giff pens an emotionally sweet, heartfelt novel of not only friendship but also longing and hope as Jubilee carves her own path. Her bond with Mason and his acceptance of her give her strength and bolster her determination to do what it takes to make her dreams come true. They share a gentle, tender bond that will have readers rooting for both of them. VERDICT A poignant tale of family, friendship, and inner courage. A wonderful addition to middle grade collections.-Erin Holt, Williamson County Public Library, Franklin, TN © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Judith, called Jubilee by her adoptive mother, Aunt Cora, might not speak aloud to anyone but herself in the mirror, but she certainly has a lot on her mind. Shes been raised since toddlerhood on an island off the Maine coast, having been abandoned by her young biological mother. The first chapter is short and action-filled, culminating in a dog being tossed overboard by a stranger and Jubilee rescuing him with the efficiency of a girl who knows her way around the Maine waters. School is about to start for Jubilee, and soon she will be in deep water of another sort: for the first time, she will be a member of a mainstream fifth-grade class without the support of a special-needs teacher for her selective mutism. Giff examines the bonds that people create, both with other people and with animals. Caring adults (Aunt Cora and her boyfriend Gideon, new teacher Ms. Quirk, school psychologist Mr. Kauffman) are willing to let this sensitive little girl take all the time she needs to figure out the world around her. The pace of the story rewards the patient reader, as sometimes it takes a while for things to work themselves out. Giff gets the island-life details right: children are allowed a lot of freedom; islanders are fiercely independent, but everyone pulls together when a storm blows in; the ferry will run on schedule if it can; and everyone will stop to look for a missing child. robin smith (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Ever since her mother dropped her off as a toddler to live with Aunt Cora, Judith hasn't spoken a word, except to a mirror. She's insecure at times and longs to be normal, though she feels at home with her aunt in their close-knit island community off the coast of Maine. Despite the pain she feels when her ex-friend Sophie murmurs, Nobody wants you, Judith begins to hope that her fifth-grade year will be better. After all, she has a rescued dog in her life, an understanding new teacher, and the possibility of a new friend. Her mother's return precipitates a crisis that enables Judith to move forward. The author of two Newbery Honor Book novels, Giff writes with quiet precision about Judith's world and her tentative steps toward confidence, connection, and acceptance. Adults as well as children are portrayed in a convincing, empathetic manner, whatever their flaws and quirks may be. At intervals throughout the story, cartoonlike illustrations representing Judith's drawings illustrate her expressive first-person narrative. A rewarding chapter book.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2016 Booklist