{"id":22568,"date":"2013-11-23T00:40:47","date_gmt":"2013-11-23T04:40:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=22568"},"modified":"2013-11-23T00:40:47","modified_gmt":"2013-11-23T04:40:47","slug":"review-of-heaven-is-paved-with-oreos-by-catherine-gilbert-murdock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=22568","title":{"rendered":"Review of Heaven Is Paved with Oreos, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Heaven Is Paved With Oreos<\/em><\/p>\n

by Catherine Gilbert Murdock<\/p>\n

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. 201 pages.
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

Heaven Is Paved with Oreos<\/em> is a follow-up to Catherine Gilbert Murdock\u2019s wonderful Dairy Queen<\/a><\/em> trilogy about D.J. Schwenk. You don\u2019t have to have read the earlier trilogy, but those who have will enjoy D.J.\u2019s presence in this book. As a matter of fact, I thought there was a bit more of D.J. than felt quite realistic, but it was fun to feel still in touch with her.<\/p>\n

This book is about Sarah Zorn, the girlfriend of D.J.\u2019s little brother, Curtis. Or is she his girlfriend? Turns out, Sarah came up with a Brilliant Outflanking Strategy, which turned out not to be so brilliant.<\/p>\n

But it seemed brilliant at the time. Sarah and Curtis were doing lots of things together, and people kept teasing them and asking them if they were going out. Finally, out of frustration, Sarah said Yes. Suddenly the person who asked didn\u2019t even care any more.<\/p>\n

Curtis frowned. \u201cWhy would she keep asking us that question if she doesn\u2019t care?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe did care,\u201d I said, thinking hard. \u201cUntil we said yes. Then she stopped thinking about it.\u201d That was when I had my eureka moment. Eureka<\/em> is what you say when you have a massive scientific discovery. \u201cThat\u2019s it! Curtis, no one cares if we\u2019re really<\/em> going out. They just like thinking we are. They don\u2019t like it when we say they\u2019re wrong. So let\u2019s let them think it!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But that backfires after awhile. During the summer before high school, Sarah\u2019s grandmother, Z, is taking her to Rome. Just before she leaves, Curtis says he doesn\u2019t like the lying to people. So they break up even though they were never really going out. So Sarah can\u2019t even send postcards to her best friend.<\/p>\n

The bulk of the book is about Sarah\u2019s time in Rome with Z, since it\u2019s in the form of her journal for the summer. She writes about what she\u2019d say in a postcard to Curtis \u2013 if she were writing to him.<\/p>\n

But Z has her own drama on the trip when she turns 64, and Sarah has to step up and be responsible in a foreign country.<\/p>\n

Catherine Gilbert Murdock knows how to write about kids that feel very real in situations that are exceptional but feel normal. I hope more books about Sarah will follow this one.<\/p>\n

hmhbooks.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Childrens_Fiction\/heaven_is_paved_with_oreos.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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