Chat with us, powered by LiveChat

The View from the Very Best House in Town



by
Meera Trehan

Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Candlewick
Imprint
Walker Books US
ISBN
9781536219241
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Discrimination: Neurodivergence
$20.22   $16.85
SEE MEMBER PRICE
QTY

JLG Category

PG Middle Plus

Part thriller, part friendship story, part real estate listing, this witty and inventive debut explores the nature of friendship and home.

Sam and Asha. Asha and Sam. Their friendship is so long established, they take it for granted. Just as Asha takes for granted that Donnybrooke, the mansion that sits on the highest hill in Coreville, is the best house in town. But when Sam is accepted into snobbish Castleton Academy as an autistic “Miracle Boy,” he leaves Asha, who is also autistic, to navigate middle school alone. He also leaves her wondering if she can take anything for granted anymore. Because soon Sam is spending time with Prestyn, Asha’s nemesis, whose family owns Donnybrooke and, since a housewarming party gone wrong, has forbidden Asha to set foot inside. Who is Asha without Sam? And who will she be when it becomes clear that Prestyn’s interest in her friend isn’t so friendly? Told from the points of view of Asha, Sam, and Donnybrooke itself, this suspenseful and highly original debut explores issues of ableism and classism as it delves into the mysteries of what makes a person a friend and a house a home.

POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Discrimination: Neurodivergence

Details

Format

Print

Page Count

256

Trim Size

8 3/10" x 6"

Dewey

F

AR

4.9: points 8

Genre

Fic

Scholastic Reading Counts

0

JLG Release

May 2022

Book Genres

Magical Realism

Topics

Autism spectrum disorders. Friendship. Bullying. Architecture. Mansions. Family life. Middle schools. Point of view. 

Standard MARC Records

Download Standard MARC Records

Cover Art

Download Cover Art

Praise & Reviews

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-Middle school friendships, discrimination, bullying, and the pressures of meeting parental expectations are all examined through the triple perspectives of middle-schoolers Sam and Asha, and the mansion that looms large over their neighborhood. Sam and Asha have always been friends, drawn together by their unique personalities, and possibly because they are both on the autism spectrum. Asha adores architecture, especially the quirky and imposing features of Donnybrooke, the mansion that borders her yard, but from which she was barred after just one visit. Sam is obsessed with space and with the Househaunt game on his phone, which combines Asha's love of buildings with his own fondness for killing monsters. Their easy friendship is tested when Sam is admitted to the prestigious Castleton Academy, where he becomes known as the "Miracle Boy" and is constantly bullied. Asha has to start middle school alone, and when she sees Sam going to Donnybrooke with Prestyn, her enemy (whose family also owns the mansion), she feels angry and abandoned. She doesn't realize that Prestyn torments Sam and only pretends to be his friend, both as a source of amusement and to annoy her mother. Sam goes along because it makes others at Castleton Academy bully him less, but Prestyn's evil games get out of control. Short chapters and easy vocabulary give readers multiple perspectives of how bullying starts, its devastating effects, and how adults can unknowingly pressure young people into behavior that causes pain. Asha is Hindu and possibly South Asian, but other characters are assumed to be white. VERDICT A thought-provoking look at bullying and social pressures through the eyes of its victims and of an inanimate, yet opinionated, mansion that will ring true with many readers.-MaryAnn Karre

Praise & Reviews

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-Middle school friendships, discrimination, bullying, and the pressures of meeting parental expectations are all examined through the triple perspectives of middle-schoolers Sam and Asha, and the mansion that looms large over their neighborhood. Sam and Asha have always been friends, drawn together by their unique personalities, and possibly because they are both on the autism spectrum. Asha adores architecture, especially the quirky and imposing features of Donnybrooke, the mansion that borders her yard, but from which she was barred after just one visit. Sam is obsessed with space and with the Househaunt game on his phone, which combines Asha's love of buildings with his own fondness for killing monsters. Their easy friendship is tested when Sam is admitted to the prestigious Castleton Academy, where he becomes known as the "Miracle Boy" and is constantly bullied. Asha has to start middle school alone, and when she sees Sam going to Donnybrooke with Prestyn, her enemy (whose family also owns the mansion), she feels angry and abandoned. She doesn't realize that Prestyn torments Sam and only pretends to be his friend, both as a source of amusement and to annoy her mother. Sam goes along because it makes others at Castleton Academy bully him less, but Prestyn's evil games get out of control. Short chapters and easy vocabulary give readers multiple perspectives of how bullying starts, its devastating effects, and how adults can unknowingly pressure young people into behavior that causes pain. Asha is Hindu and possibly South Asian, but other characters are assumed to be white. VERDICT A thought-provoking look at bullying and social pressures through the eyes of its victims and of an inanimate, yet opinionated, mansion that will ring true with many readers.-MaryAnn Karre

Grades 5-8
PG Middle Plus
For Grades 5-8

For middle school readers who enjoy fascinating stories but want less edgy content, PGM is the perfect choice. Be assured that the 12 books offered in this category will be inoffensive to readers, teachers and parents.

14 books per Year
$285.46 per Year
Interests
Clean Books,Chapter Books/Novels,Diversity,Fiction,Funny/Humorous,Reluctant Readers
Like this book?
Get more like this every month.
LEARN MORE
Grades 5-8
PG Middle Plus
14 books per Year
$285.46 per Year

Other Recommended Titles From PG Middle Plus

Controlled Burn

by Erin Soderberg Downing

PG Middle Plus

February 2023

The Decomposition of Jack

by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb

PG Middle Plus

January 2023

Berani

by Michelle Kadarusman

PG Middle Plus

December 2022

Nowhere Better Than Here

by Sarah Guillory

PG Middle Plus

November 2022
Copyright © 2017 Magento, Inc. All rights reserved.