TW: Grandparent Death and Bullying
Crossing the Pressure Line by Laura Anne Bird was the perfect balance of middle grade easy afternoon read, big issues of grief/bullying/regret, and cute side characters (looking at you, Roger!). I greatly appreciate Laura’s writing style and her intimate knowledge of the Northwoods. Wisconsin has such a beautiful landscape, especially in the summers, and the joy of summer camping is captured with the detailed account of the land. The queer side characters made this cast much more diverse than when she first introduces the reader to the matriarchs and Claire. The struggle of reconciling grief and regret that Claire goes through makes this a fantastic book for your younger children/friends/self. I wish I had this book when my great grandpa died when I was 10, as the guilt and regret that Claire processes would have been so helpful.
Middle grade has a special place in my heart, where the big emotions of late elementary can be processed and addressed, as kids need the space to work through the stress and pain of everyday life. Laura’s character and plotline brought so much love and warmth to life that I’d love to read this again and again. Overall, read this book that is so dang cute and inspirational.
