Several
months ago my friend, Colby Sharp, began raving about a book he was reading. Finding Serendipity was that book. I
looked it up online and immediately was impatient to read it. When the ARC
arrived at my house, I excused myself for the day and curled up with the novel.
While my students know I often struggle to
begin a book, taking some time to fall in love with new characters, I didn’t
have that issue with Finding Serendipity.
I immediately grew to love Tuesday McGillycuddy and her amazing dog,
Baxterr. (Yes, there is a double r on purpose.) Tuesday is the kind of
character I love. She seems real. She’s kind, curious, and brave. She feels
like she could reside in my classroom just as easily as she does between the
pages of this novel. More than anything, I love the fact that I have at least
fifteen students that I know will love Tuesday just as much as I do. She is a
character they will cherish.
In this
book, Tuesday’s mom is the amazingly talented – and famous – author, Serendipity
Smith. Serendipity has written a hugely popular novel series that follows the
story of a girl named Vivienne Small. In Finding
Serendipity, Tuesday’s mom, Serendipity, has disappeared. Tuesday and
Baxterr have to go on an quest to find her and bring her home. Along the way,
Tuesday discovers hidden secrets that have been in front of her all along and,
also, she discovers talents she didn’t know she had.
While absolutely
a fantasy story, parts of Finding
Serendipity felt so real to me. It would be a great bridge book for my
students who love realistic fiction, but want to being to venture into the
waters of fantasy stories. At the end, I was beyond sad to leave this world
that author Angelica Banks has created. Angelica Banks is a pen name for two
friends, Heather Rose and Danielle Wood, who decided to try writing this book
together. I’m thrilled to see that Finding
Serendipity is just the first book in a planned series. I cannot wait to
see what Tuesday and Baxterr are up to next.
