Just Breeze – Beverly Stowe McClure

Publisher: 4RV Publishing, 
LLC Pages: 196 
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade
Source: Copy from author in exchange for my honest opinion

 I loved the name Breeze Brannigan. I would have loved to be in the author’s head when she decided on this name for her character. The author was spot on with her characterization. As a middle school teacher I could see several “Breezes” in my classrooms. I know middle school is a difficult time for them. Their body begins to change, or not change. I was like Breeze in the bra category. I wore one in eighth grade even though I really didn’t need it. I went to school with a girl who referred to her feet as canoes. They grew faster than the rest of her body and she was very tall. Outside of the hair color Beverly McClure could have been writing about this girl. She had wild honey colored curls that she tried to keep back from her face with headbands. We tried to put part of it up or put it in a hair tie. She looked like she had a puffball on the back of her head. I loved the way Breeze’s description brought back memories of my own middle school years. It seems like we always have a best friend who feels the need to “help” us with our problem areas, just like Breeze did. I identified with Breeze when she tried out for cheerleading. For me it was a cousin who was captain of the cheerleading squad. I didn’t land wrong and sprain an ankle; instead I pulled a thigh muscle when I came down into the splits. I too had to be helped out. I have a musically talented younger sister that I was compared to. It didn’t help out that my father was a gospel singer and I didn’t fit into their world. Like Breeze, I felt I didn’t fit in any place. It took one boy to see me differently for me to gain the confidence in myself. Those friendships in middle school are so important. I can’t wait to put this in the tray of my white board and talk about it on Monday. It is a book I will recommend to everyone. I feel this book is so important that I am making sure the counselors and psychologists at school know about this book so that they have something to recommend to girls who fit this category. Happy Reading.