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Just Like Me
Told through a mix of traditional narrative and journal entries, Just Like Me, is a funny, uplifting summer camp story about unlikely friendships and finding your place in the world.
Hardcover
First published April 5, 2016
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About the author
Nancy J. Cavanaugh
7 books122 followersNancy J. Cavanaugh lives in the Chicago area with her husband, her daughter, and their adorable, five-pound Cockapoo. One of Nancy's favorite pastimes is eating pizza. She loves reading middle grade novels. Her secret? She hasn't read an adult book in years.
Nancy's newest novel, WHEN I HIT THE ROAD, is the story of Samantha's madcap road trip with a karaoke-loving grandma and a wild summer of memories that will last a lifetime.
Like one of her main characters, Ratchet, Nancy is pretty handy with a ratchet and is able to take apart a small engine and put it back together.
Like another of her main characters, Abigail, Nancy often struggled while growing up to find the courage to do the right thing. (She also fell in a HUGE parking-lot-sized puddle, just like Abigail did.)
Her third book, JUST LIKE ME was inspired by her daughter and is a fun, funny summer camp story of three Asian girls adopted from China by three different American families.
And Nancy's fourth book is a mystery, adventure story that takes place in the Okefenokee Swamp in the 1930's.
Nancy has been an elementary and middle school teacher as well as a library media specialist. One of her favorite parts of writing for children is being able to say "I'm working" when reading middle grade novels.
Nancy's newest novel, WHEN I HIT THE ROAD, is the story of Samantha's madcap road trip with a karaoke-loving grandma and a wild summer of memories that will last a lifetime.
Like one of her main characters, Ratchet, Nancy is pretty handy with a ratchet and is able to take apart a small engine and put it back together.
Like another of her main characters, Abigail, Nancy often struggled while growing up to find the courage to do the right thing. (She also fell in a HUGE parking-lot-sized puddle, just like Abigail did.)
Her third book, JUST LIKE ME was inspired by her daughter and is a fun, funny summer camp story of three Asian girls adopted from China by three different American families.
And Nancy's fourth book is a mystery, adventure story that takes place in the Okefenokee Swamp in the 1930's.
Nancy has been an elementary and middle school teacher as well as a library media specialist. One of her favorite parts of writing for children is being able to say "I'm working" when reading middle grade novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
February 24, 2016
4 stars
(Updated February 24, 2016)
This is the story of a Chinese adopted girl, but it transcends that. This is the story of every single person, no matter the ethnicity or upbringing, trying to understand who they are and their place in the world.
Growing up is hard enough. Growing up and being expected to know and enjoy a culture you came from but have no link to, that's really complicated, especially if it makes you so confused you'd rather pretend you have nothing to do with said culture.
This is a wonderful tale of a young girl learning about who she is and accepting that person. It's also a story about friendship, and how everybody has something to add, and something that they don't like about their lives or themselves. Like the R.E.M. song says, everybody hurts sometimes. It's okay. But it's also okay to take chances and open up. Embrace the opportunities. Win some, lose some, but believe and persevere always.
This is a lovely book and I highly recommend it.
***
I'd like to thank NetGalley, Sourcebooks and author Nancy Cavanaugh for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 9, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book. I think that the author gives you a very good message in the story. What happens in the story, is, there are three girls who are all adopted from the same orphanage. The two girls, Avery and Becca, who think that all three of them are sisters. Julia is not happy when she finds out that all three of the girls are going to a summer camp together! Julia tries to act like she doesn't know Avery and Becca, but that doesn't work out well. It is also not good when all of the girls in the cabin are not getting along and losing every game they play at camp. Towards the end of the story, they all end up getting along, and Julia is happy that she went to the camp this summer, even though it was crazy! I enjoyed this book and it is one of my favorites. I would really recommend it! One of my favorite parts in the story was when it was the bus ride to the camp because that part is funny.
January 24, 2016
I got this book as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Just Like Me was a wonderful book about self-discovery for an adopted girl. Not only did she embrace her heritage, which she had resisted, but she understood by the end of the story that everyone has things in life that they have to deal with. The story was a bit difficult to follow, as I was reading an unformatted ARC. Some of the text was in the wrong place and it made the switch between the narrative and the journal entries meld together. I enjoyed the story, especially the relationships between the girls in White Oak. Even though I am not adopted, I felt I could understand Julia's rejection of her Chinese heritage because she wanted to be like everyone else (as she perceived them to be). I've seen many instances where 2nd generation immigrant children reject their heritage so they can be "American." I hope that stories such as this will encourage more people to embrace multiple cultures and to be proud of all they identify with - in Julia's case, Chinese, Italian, and Irish. I felt for her, understanding how the adults would naturally feel the girls had a special connection since they all went on this journey to China to adopt the girls together, and how the adults would form a close bond. Julia, however, seemed to be more of a third wheel - not only limited by her refusal to embrace anything Chinese, but also because Avery and Becca lived closer together and obviously spent more time together. I think this will be a wonderful story to recommend to any student struggling with adoption or identity issues.
Just Like Me was a wonderful book about self-discovery for an adopted girl. Not only did she embrace her heritage, which she had resisted, but she understood by the end of the story that everyone has things in life that they have to deal with. The story was a bit difficult to follow, as I was reading an unformatted ARC. Some of the text was in the wrong place and it made the switch between the narrative and the journal entries meld together. I enjoyed the story, especially the relationships between the girls in White Oak. Even though I am not adopted, I felt I could understand Julia's rejection of her Chinese heritage because she wanted to be like everyone else (as she perceived them to be). I've seen many instances where 2nd generation immigrant children reject their heritage so they can be "American." I hope that stories such as this will encourage more people to embrace multiple cultures and to be proud of all they identify with - in Julia's case, Chinese, Italian, and Irish. I felt for her, understanding how the adults would naturally feel the girls had a special connection since they all went on this journey to China to adopt the girls together, and how the adults would form a close bond. Julia, however, seemed to be more of a third wheel - not only limited by her refusal to embrace anything Chinese, but also because Avery and Becca lived closer together and obviously spent more time together. I think this will be a wonderful story to recommend to any student struggling with adoption or identity issues.
February 3, 2017
Wow! Just Like Me is fantastic!
I started to read this book, looking for something to read with my daughter… but I got so caught up in the story, I couldn’t wait! I cruised right through it. I devoured it. I loved it.
The five main characters, Julia, Becca, Avery, Gina, and Vanessa, are interesting, have depth, and all experience some sort of personal growth (I leave Meredith out of this list on purpose ;) ). Each girl has her own issues to work out and none of the characters are cliché or predictable – which adds to the brilliance of the story. Stereotypes are smashed, differences are brought to light – in some crassly dramatic ways – and commonalities are found… not just (or specifically) cultural commonalities, but human commonalities.
I wish I hadn’t read this alone. Now I need to look for someone to discuss it with. I guess I’ll just have to wait until my daughter finishes…
5 stars. Wonderful!
I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks-Jabberwocky via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
TJ's Time Travel Tips Review:
https://tjtimetraveltips.wordpress.co...
I started to read this book, looking for something to read with my daughter… but I got so caught up in the story, I couldn’t wait! I cruised right through it. I devoured it. I loved it.
The five main characters, Julia, Becca, Avery, Gina, and Vanessa, are interesting, have depth, and all experience some sort of personal growth (I leave Meredith out of this list on purpose ;) ). Each girl has her own issues to work out and none of the characters are cliché or predictable – which adds to the brilliance of the story. Stereotypes are smashed, differences are brought to light – in some crassly dramatic ways – and commonalities are found… not just (or specifically) cultural commonalities, but human commonalities.
I wish I hadn’t read this alone. Now I need to look for someone to discuss it with. I guess I’ll just have to wait until my daughter finishes…
5 stars. Wonderful!
I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks-Jabberwocky via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
TJ's Time Travel Tips Review:
https://tjtimetraveltips.wordpress.co...
October 17, 2025
This book has rested on my shelves for a few years. I don’t even know how many. But last Friday I got back from two overnights with Grade 5 girls and I had this week off, so it was a perfect storm, I guess, or the opposite of a perfect storm actually. I also planned to finish the first draft of a Middle Grade novel during my week off. Reading this, I thought, might be a form of research/inspiration.
Julia, the narrator, was adopted from China. I don’t want to summarize too much, because you can get that elsewhere, but she ends up on a camp with two other girls who were at the orphanage as babies with her: Avery and Becca.
Three other girls round out Julia's cabin mates: Gina, Vanessa and Meredith.
They have their ups and downs. The camp is very competitive, pitting cabins against each other, and of course our heroes in White Oak experience good times and bad times. There was one point where I considered writing an angry letter to the author for putting them/us through a particularly devastating defeat!
Sometimes I wondered if Julia was too passive or quiet as a narrator and protagonist. At the same time, I liked her for it. There are also other rewards for sticking with her, such as she is a good observer of those around her and the author puts her at the center of some mayhem, very realistically, at the end.
I was never this normal. These girls, in many ways, are just so damn normal! But I liked that about them. And they did remind me of the vibes I see or think I see among the Grade 5 girls I supervised at the overnight. I don’t know if those girls have similar thoughts/problems/concerns as Julia et al, but maybe, possibly, believably so.
This story is so damn realistic, and I respect the author for being able to work emotional twists in that do act as turning points, though perhaps some people will feel the story is sometimes slow - I’ll look at other reviews soon to see if that is a complaint… If so, I disagree with those complaints, because I am a big schmuck and did roll with all the big feelings. I assume readers from the target audience might too?
If I was a classroom teacher, I can imagine reading this aloud since I work at a girls Catholic school (There are no male characters here, except as eye candy lol, which might make it a challenge for boys?). It does not have connections to any curriculum topics that I noticed, other than social/emotional ones, but it could lead to some fun conversations about identity. Julia’s brief letter to her birth mother on p. 236 is simple but kinda amazing too.
Trigger Warning: This trigger warning is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but Camp Little Big Woods is a Christian camp. It is not a major part of the setting or the characters’ mindsets, but they do take out Bibles at least once. It amused me more than anything, but I am someone who is appalled that so-called Christians in the US support Donald Trump un-ironically. I am also someone who believes Christian Nationalism is an oxymoron. It worried me that Julia and her friends/frenemies might be indoctrinated into that kind of false Christianity but it is not depicted in the story, and I pray it is not part of the author’s worldview.
Trigger Warning 2: An adult male who runs the camp forces the campers to listen to popular music hits from... THE DISANT PAST, ones that I remember such as Eye of the Tiger, Walking on Sunshine and We are Family. The girls don’t protest. In fact, they often sing and dance along. Maybe they know those songs from TikTok etc, but if not, I think they should be up-in-arms and demanding Taylor Swift or Blackpink or something.
Julia, the narrator, was adopted from China. I don’t want to summarize too much, because you can get that elsewhere, but she ends up on a camp with two other girls who were at the orphanage as babies with her: Avery and Becca.
Three other girls round out Julia's cabin mates: Gina, Vanessa and Meredith.
They have their ups and downs. The camp is very competitive, pitting cabins against each other, and of course our heroes in White Oak experience good times and bad times. There was one point where I considered writing an angry letter to the author for putting them/us through a particularly devastating defeat!
Sometimes I wondered if Julia was too passive or quiet as a narrator and protagonist. At the same time, I liked her for it. There are also other rewards for sticking with her, such as she is a good observer of those around her and the author puts her at the center of some mayhem, very realistically, at the end.
I was never this normal. These girls, in many ways, are just so damn normal! But I liked that about them. And they did remind me of the vibes I see or think I see among the Grade 5 girls I supervised at the overnight. I don’t know if those girls have similar thoughts/problems/concerns as Julia et al, but maybe, possibly, believably so.
This story is so damn realistic, and I respect the author for being able to work emotional twists in that do act as turning points, though perhaps some people will feel the story is sometimes slow - I’ll look at other reviews soon to see if that is a complaint… If so, I disagree with those complaints, because I am a big schmuck and did roll with all the big feelings. I assume readers from the target audience might too?
If I was a classroom teacher, I can imagine reading this aloud since I work at a girls Catholic school (There are no male characters here, except as eye candy lol, which might make it a challenge for boys?). It does not have connections to any curriculum topics that I noticed, other than social/emotional ones, but it could lead to some fun conversations about identity. Julia’s brief letter to her birth mother on p. 236 is simple but kinda amazing too.
Trigger Warning: This trigger warning is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but Camp Little Big Woods is a Christian camp. It is not a major part of the setting or the characters’ mindsets, but they do take out Bibles at least once. It amused me more than anything, but I am someone who is appalled that so-called Christians in the US support Donald Trump un-ironically. I am also someone who believes Christian Nationalism is an oxymoron. It worried me that Julia and her friends/frenemies might be indoctrinated into that kind of false Christianity but it is not depicted in the story, and I pray it is not part of the author’s worldview.
Trigger Warning 2: An adult male who runs the camp forces the campers to listen to popular music hits from... THE DISANT PAST, ones that I remember such as Eye of the Tiger, Walking on Sunshine and We are Family. The girls don’t protest. In fact, they often sing and dance along. Maybe they know those songs from TikTok etc, but if not, I think they should be up-in-arms and demanding Taylor Swift or Blackpink or something.
December 29, 2020
The three girls were all adopted from the same orphanage in China. They all have the same donated baby blankets, and the same posed snapshots of themselves at the orphanage. Their adoptive parents have remained close after sharing the life changing experience of travelling to China to pick up their new daughters.
But now the girls are eleven, and they’ve become very different people. Becca and Avery live in the same neighborhood and are best friends. Becca is a soccer star and Avery is a whiz at school, and both girls share an interest in their Chinese heritage — they’re studying both Mandarin and Cantonese, and they enjoy eating with chopsticks and carrying Chinese fans.
Julia, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with her Chinese heritage. She doesn’t feel Chinese at all, and wishes people would stop bringing it up. Julia feels like she barely knows Becca and Avery, and doesn’t see why the fact that they were at a Chinese orphanage together should give them any sort of special connection.
But now Ms. Maricia, the International Adoption Co-ordinator, has asked the three girls if she can write a follow-up article about their stories. The three girls are sent off to a summer church camp together for a week, to bond together and discuss their adoption stories. Julia grudgingly agrees to go along with the plan, although spending a week “bonding with” Becca and Avery is the last thing she wants to do.
Now, this book could have been a pretty cliché summer camp story, with the grumbling girl who ends up having a great time, and the fighting cabin that learns to get along. But it ended up being so much more than that. There’s an empathy that develops as the girls learn to trust each other that reaches far beyond the traditional “frenemy” trope. And while the story of the three girls’ adoption from China is a strong theme throughout the book, it doesn’t come at the cost of the other campers’ stories — one girl in the cabin admits that her parents are recently separated; another is in the foster care system. It’s a beautiful picture of how isolating “being different” can feel, but how in reality we are often surrounded by other people who feel just as isolated and “different” as we do.
The author of this book is an adoptive mom herself, and while every experience of adoption is unique, this book deals in a complex and authentic way with the emotions and issues it addresses. The setting of summer camp is perfect — there’s lots of action and fun, but it still allows space for self discovery in the characters. I grew to love the characters in this book — not only Julia and her “Chinese sisters,” but the rest of the girls in her cabin as well. It was also beautiful to watch Julia, Becca, and Avery respond to their adoptions stories and their Chinese heritage in their own individual way. I felt the book acknowledged the unique journey that each individual must take in response his or her own adoption story, while also showing how helpful it can be to share the journey with someone else who has been through the same thing.
But now the girls are eleven, and they’ve become very different people. Becca and Avery live in the same neighborhood and are best friends. Becca is a soccer star and Avery is a whiz at school, and both girls share an interest in their Chinese heritage — they’re studying both Mandarin and Cantonese, and they enjoy eating with chopsticks and carrying Chinese fans.
Julia, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with her Chinese heritage. She doesn’t feel Chinese at all, and wishes people would stop bringing it up. Julia feels like she barely knows Becca and Avery, and doesn’t see why the fact that they were at a Chinese orphanage together should give them any sort of special connection.
But now Ms. Maricia, the International Adoption Co-ordinator, has asked the three girls if she can write a follow-up article about their stories. The three girls are sent off to a summer church camp together for a week, to bond together and discuss their adoption stories. Julia grudgingly agrees to go along with the plan, although spending a week “bonding with” Becca and Avery is the last thing she wants to do.
Now, this book could have been a pretty cliché summer camp story, with the grumbling girl who ends up having a great time, and the fighting cabin that learns to get along. But it ended up being so much more than that. There’s an empathy that develops as the girls learn to trust each other that reaches far beyond the traditional “frenemy” trope. And while the story of the three girls’ adoption from China is a strong theme throughout the book, it doesn’t come at the cost of the other campers’ stories — one girl in the cabin admits that her parents are recently separated; another is in the foster care system. It’s a beautiful picture of how isolating “being different” can feel, but how in reality we are often surrounded by other people who feel just as isolated and “different” as we do.
The author of this book is an adoptive mom herself, and while every experience of adoption is unique, this book deals in a complex and authentic way with the emotions and issues it addresses. The setting of summer camp is perfect — there’s lots of action and fun, but it still allows space for self discovery in the characters. I grew to love the characters in this book — not only Julia and her “Chinese sisters,” but the rest of the girls in her cabin as well. It was also beautiful to watch Julia, Becca, and Avery respond to their adoptions stories and their Chinese heritage in their own individual way. I felt the book acknowledged the unique journey that each individual must take in response his or her own adoption story, while also showing how helpful it can be to share the journey with someone else who has been through the same thing.
August 6, 2016
Summary:
Who eats Cheetos with chopsticks?! Avery and Becca, my “Chinese Sisters,” that’s who. We’re not really sisters—we were just adopted from the same orphanage. And we’re nothing alike. They sing Chinese love songs on the bus to summer camp, and I pretend like I don’t know them.
To make everything worse, we have to journal about our time at camp so the adoption agency can do some kind of “where are they now” newsletter. I’ll tell you where I am: At Camp Little Big Woods in a cabin with five other girls who aren’t getting along, competing for a campout and losing (badly), wondering how I got here…and where I belong.
Plot:
It wasn't really the plot that drew me to the story. It was the friendships and the setting. I recently came back from summer camp, and this book was so relatable. It was bunches of fun watching all the girls come together, and help Julia discover herself. This was definitely a VERY predictable book, and there truly wasn't a plot line at all.
Characters:
The story rotated around all of the characters, not the plot. There was many annoying characters, and I wish that there at home life would have been explained better, given that's what caused the bullying. For some reason, Becca and Avery felt a little artificial to me. I don't know why, they just did. I guess they didn't have much depth to them, even though they were main characters.
Overall & Recommendations:
This was a fun, light summer read that I read in one sitting. I liked the friendships and the camp setting: it was very relatable to me. I would recommend it to 3rd+.
Who eats Cheetos with chopsticks?! Avery and Becca, my “Chinese Sisters,” that’s who. We’re not really sisters—we were just adopted from the same orphanage. And we’re nothing alike. They sing Chinese love songs on the bus to summer camp, and I pretend like I don’t know them.
To make everything worse, we have to journal about our time at camp so the adoption agency can do some kind of “where are they now” newsletter. I’ll tell you where I am: At Camp Little Big Woods in a cabin with five other girls who aren’t getting along, competing for a campout and losing (badly), wondering how I got here…and where I belong.
Plot:
It wasn't really the plot that drew me to the story. It was the friendships and the setting. I recently came back from summer camp, and this book was so relatable. It was bunches of fun watching all the girls come together, and help Julia discover herself. This was definitely a VERY predictable book, and there truly wasn't a plot line at all.
Characters:
The story rotated around all of the characters, not the plot. There was many annoying characters, and I wish that there at home life would have been explained better, given that's what caused the bullying. For some reason, Becca and Avery felt a little artificial to me. I don't know why, they just did. I guess they didn't have much depth to them, even though they were main characters.
Overall & Recommendations:
This was a fun, light summer read that I read in one sitting. I liked the friendships and the camp setting: it was very relatable to me. I would recommend it to 3rd+.
September 7, 2016
This book was very annoying. The cover was pretty, the premise sounded great, and I thought I would be reading about a girl who discovered birth-given heritage. Instead, I read about six 11- year old girls who complained and fought with each other throughout the entire book. Every page, every chapter, the girls did nothing but bicker. It's bad enough having to listen to girls fight, but having to read text of girls fighting is awful. Also, I was really confused by the author's impression of camp, because these 11 year old girls were at sleep away camp and daily had rest time, where they weren't allowed to talk or leave their bunks, let alone their cabins. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that sounds like a funky prison or time out. I would never want to go to that camp! I'm giving the book two stars because it was a very fast read and I enjoyed the journal entries in the book, but honestly, I did not like this book.
November 8, 2015
Inspired by Cavanaugh's own experience as an adoptive mother, this is a tender middle grade novel about a young girl coming to terms with her adoption from a Chinese orphanage into a non-Chinese family. Julia has to go to camp with her "Chinese sisters", girls who were adopted at the same time from the same orphanage, and several other girls from different backgrounds who all must confront some hard truths about themselves. Journal entries with a first person narrative makes the story easy to follow. Sometimes humorous and sometimes poignant, this is an insightful adoption story for middle grade readers.
March 8, 2018
Adopted from the same orphanage in China as her sort-of friends, Avery and Becca, Julia would prefer to pretend her Chinese heritage doesn't really exist. Unfortunately when the adoption agency decides to publish a special piece on the three of them, Julia finds herself packed away to church summer camp with her two "Chinese sisters," whether she wants to go or not. Add a few mean girls into their cabin and the recipe for summer disaster is set. Not only must Julia figure out how to find peace in her cabin war zone, she finds herself asking the honest questions about her adoption for the first time.
Such a beautiful little story, informed well by the author's own experience with an adopted daughter from China. This narrative, told with a mix of story and journal entries, faces some difficult issues with gentleness, but not with gloss. Julia's honest questions and mixed feelings about her birth family and heritage, her struggles to be honest with herself, will ring true with many readers, whether they've been adopted or not, just as they do with the girls in her cabin -- two of whom are adopted, one in foster care, one with divorced parents, and one who has lost a loved one. A wonderful, relatable novel and recommended for any young girl trying to figure out who she is.
Such a beautiful little story, informed well by the author's own experience with an adopted daughter from China. This narrative, told with a mix of story and journal entries, faces some difficult issues with gentleness, but not with gloss. Julia's honest questions and mixed feelings about her birth family and heritage, her struggles to be honest with herself, will ring true with many readers, whether they've been adopted or not, just as they do with the girls in her cabin -- two of whom are adopted, one in foster care, one with divorced parents, and one who has lost a loved one. A wonderful, relatable novel and recommended for any young girl trying to figure out who she is.
March 11, 2016
This was a nice little YA book about being adopted. It also included children who were fostered and ones whose parents had separated. It helps those kids understand that they are not alone and that there are others out there that don't necessarily live with their real parents or both parents. I think it's good for all middle graders though, as well, because it teaches them about "different" families and helps them to see how the kids feel.
I think the author did a great job. The characters were definitely believable with a lot of teenage angst, but it wasn't so much that it turned me off. Actually, I finished reading the book with a good feeling because there were several lessons learned. And, I think these lessons were learned in an entertaining way, not a preaching way.
Thanks to Sourcebooks for approving my request and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
I think the author did a great job. The characters were definitely believable with a lot of teenage angst, but it wasn't so much that it turned me off. Actually, I finished reading the book with a good feeling because there were several lessons learned. And, I think these lessons were learned in an entertaining way, not a preaching way.
Thanks to Sourcebooks for approving my request and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
April 29, 2018
Such a wonderful middle grade novel about identity. Julia is sent to summer camp with two girls that were in her Chinese orphanage, and the goal is to journal about the experience for an upcoming interview. She hates the idea and is not connected to China in the same way these other two girls are. The book is awesome in that it deals with struggles from all types of families, not only adoptive, but it also has tons of great elements such as summer camp fun, major fighting between the girls in the cabin, understanding how someone whose life looks perfect is not often true, and learning how to work out differences.
As the mom of a daughter adopted in China, this story especially hit home as each chapter ends with a journal entry about Julia's struggle with being abandoned and talking about her birth mother and how she wants that connection so badly.
As the mom of a daughter adopted in China, this story especially hit home as each chapter ends with a journal entry about Julia's struggle with being abandoned and talking about her birth mother and how she wants that connection so badly.
December 28, 2016
Three young Chinese girls who are adopted from the same orphanage are sent to summer camp together. One is struggling to come to terms with her heritage. Six girls share a cabin and hope to win the camp competition. But they must first learn to get along and work together.
January 22, 2017
AWESOME!
July 1, 2020
I think it was a lovely book and was all about trying to get along and making new friends 🙃😀😄😃😁😆
April 14, 2022
This was a delightful story three young girls, who are all adopted from the same orphanage in China. When the adoption agency asks to feature the girls in a story about "where are they now", the girls are sent to a summer camp to "bond".
The opening journal entry, pretty much says it all. "Dear Ms. Marcia, If I am going to be honest about my feelings I'll start by saying that me "graciously agreeing" to share my story is not really what happened. Mom was all: what a great idea! And I was all: a week of "bonding" with Avery and Becca? No thanks." Julia
So begins this little story of adoption and how two girls , Becca and Avery, are proud of their Chinese heritage and eager to learn about their heritage and how Julia is simply not that same kind of girl and refuses to be part of that "club".
The story is a bit predictable, because at the end of camp, Julie realizes everyone has their own issues to deal with and how bonding with her friends really was the best thing ever.
"Dear Ms. Marcia. Well, I've finally realized why Mom knew that going to camp with Avery and Becca was such a good idea. Mom's not from China. She's not adopted. And she was never, ever an orphan. But Avery and Becca are all those things. And that 'why we're good for each other."
The author has an adopted daughter. Lovely book.
The opening journal entry, pretty much says it all. "Dear Ms. Marcia, If I am going to be honest about my feelings I'll start by saying that me "graciously agreeing" to share my story is not really what happened. Mom was all: what a great idea! And I was all: a week of "bonding" with Avery and Becca? No thanks." Julia
So begins this little story of adoption and how two girls , Becca and Avery, are proud of their Chinese heritage and eager to learn about their heritage and how Julia is simply not that same kind of girl and refuses to be part of that "club".
The story is a bit predictable, because at the end of camp, Julie realizes everyone has their own issues to deal with and how bonding with her friends really was the best thing ever.
"Dear Ms. Marcia. Well, I've finally realized why Mom knew that going to camp with Avery and Becca was such a good idea. Mom's not from China. She's not adopted. And she was never, ever an orphan. But Avery and Becca are all those things. And that 'why we're good for each other."
The author has an adopted daughter. Lovely book.
April 27, 2017
What a beautiful story. I didn't think I was going to like it since it is a middle grade book. But I did, I loved everything about it. The setting of the summer camp was perfect. It has a lot of fun and action. It makes me wonder about my heritage and what is like to be adopted. This book is about self-discovery and friendship. I liked how Julia was not alone. She had Becca and Avery that were also adopted, with Chinese heritage, and came from the same orphanage as she did. Of course at the end, she discovered that each of her cabin member was also unique and they too had their own personal stories.
Thank you NetGalley. I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley. I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 17, 2017
This was cute--kind of cheesy at times, but some important messages about the way tween girls treat each other and how casual racism exists everywhere. I also like the different messages about adoption and that each girl handles things in her own way. The bickering/mean girl episodes got old after awhile, and (as a middle school educator) I'm not convinced those kinds of situations are solved as easily as the book portrays, but I do like the problem solving skills the girls show throughout the story.
October 22, 2017
It was very funny, entertaining and simply a great read.
January 4, 2018
This book was FANTASTIC! Based on the cover, you guess it would just be about boring girl drama, but the book has much more to it. It is about 3 girls that were orphans and spent time together to find their true identity. They all have different personalities. One is nerdy, one is sporty, and one keeps to herself. The main character is a girl named Julia, who keeps to herself and likes to process things in her mind. They share a cabin with two other horribly mean girls who get on their last nerves. They stay at Camp Little Big Woods to "bond". Instead, the girls get into loads of trouble and don't know how to fix their giant mess. Can they learn to cooperate? Can they fix all the mistakes they made at the camp? You should give it a go and find out. :D
July 23, 2021
This is a great book for tweens. It teaches compassion and understanding. It also showed the benefit of having a guided journal or diary especially during the tween years when your trying to understand your emotions.
July 4, 2022
This book was so good I read it in a day. Although there was some plot holes, it was still a good book. I really wish we had a little more back story from all of the characters. But besides that, this book was okay. I really wish this book had a part two.
October 28, 2018
I love Just Like Me! The characters are well-developed and feel so real, the summer camp setting is perfectly done, and the story is well-written and avoids cliches. Highly recommend for kids and adults!
August 16, 2018
This is a DARLING book full of friendship and learning to be honest with yourself about who you are. I did not think I would love this book this much as it is a teen book ( I am a teacher and like to read these books to see if they would be good for the classroom!). I ended up smiling through tears! Easy fast read and such a good message!
December 13, 2017
The title of my book is, Just Like Me, by Nancy J. Cavanaugh. The genre of my book is realistic fiction, because everything in this book could happen in real life. The main characters in my book are, Avery, Julia and Becca. Avery has chin, length hair with bangs, that makes her look studious, in her thick, black glasses. Julia is a quiet girl, with brown hair, who tags along with her friends. Becca is a very athletic girl, that always has her hair in a ponytail. The setting of this story, mainly takes place at Camp Little Big Woods. This story is also in present time. The plot of the story is about these 3 adopted girls, who are "forced" to attend this camp. The three girls try to get along and cooperate, but will their other cabin mates, make that harder? The conflict of this story is Man vs Man, because the people in the White Oak cabin try to cooperate and try to be the best cabin, in the camp. The most exciting part of this book, was when Vanessa and Gina got in a huge fight, because Gina caused the White Oak cabin to loose the obstacle course competition. One reason why I think other people will like this book, is because it a book that brings out the truth in people. This book shows both sides of people who are not the best to other people.
July 4, 2017
This is a really cute story about friendship, adoption and family heritage.
January 28, 2016
I was pleased to receive my copy of Just Like Me by Nancy Cavanaugh..an adorable cover (in the form of paperback)...bright and cheery and absolutely perfect for what I would consider a middle grade book. Impressed already I was eager to jump right in and see what Just Like Me was all about.
Going back and forth in and out of the style of Journal entries, this is a story of a 12 year old by the name of Julia...having been adopted she is sent to attend a week long Summer Camp for other kids adopted from the same Chinese Orphanage...something of a "Where are they now" reunion type story they want to get out. So Julia is sent to this Camp (Camp Little Big Woods)..where she reunites with 2 other former orphans...Avery and Becca. Meant to create deeper connections with the people they share an experience with Julia goes on an entirely different inner journey and self discovery than the other girls and yet a beautiful friendship is still thriving and in some ways although these inner journeys and self discoveries are unique to their own experiences they are all the same in the bond that they share as orphans. There is definitely struggles...nothing is perfect...adoption is beautiful but the feelings these adopted children feel are not always so...the reality is bittersweet. I love that this book and the issues it addresses were not sugar coated yet it gave such a poignant tale of 3 kids learning about themselves and how to cope in a world that for them started with abandonment. How it must feel (to which I can not even begin to imagine) to be a Chinese orphan adopted to an American family...the culture clash..the learning to adjust to one culture while losing the hold on the culture you were born into. Oooooh my...I think of it now as I type and it brings tears to my eyes. These girls fight..these girls come together..these girls share something so many other kids in this world face in the world of adoption.
A story brought to us by an adoptive mother....you can feel the true experience in the words. You can tell it comes from someone that has first hand knowledge of these experiences, emotions, and journey. I love that this book can get to the heart of real issues that girls (and boys) this age face with this experience while being a book that can be read by kids of this age but also grip an adult to their core. A beautiful read..a wonderful recommendation not just to children that have been adopted and going through their own personal struggles but for any kid so that they may get a deeper understanding of the issues that their peers may be facing.
A big thanks to the wonderful peeps at goodreads, Nancy Cavanaugh, and Source Books for the opportunity for the win of my free copy of this paperback version...in exchange for an honest review to which I gladly and voluntarily gave!!
Going back and forth in and out of the style of Journal entries, this is a story of a 12 year old by the name of Julia...having been adopted she is sent to attend a week long Summer Camp for other kids adopted from the same Chinese Orphanage...something of a "Where are they now" reunion type story they want to get out. So Julia is sent to this Camp (Camp Little Big Woods)..where she reunites with 2 other former orphans...Avery and Becca. Meant to create deeper connections with the people they share an experience with Julia goes on an entirely different inner journey and self discovery than the other girls and yet a beautiful friendship is still thriving and in some ways although these inner journeys and self discoveries are unique to their own experiences they are all the same in the bond that they share as orphans. There is definitely struggles...nothing is perfect...adoption is beautiful but the feelings these adopted children feel are not always so...the reality is bittersweet. I love that this book and the issues it addresses were not sugar coated yet it gave such a poignant tale of 3 kids learning about themselves and how to cope in a world that for them started with abandonment. How it must feel (to which I can not even begin to imagine) to be a Chinese orphan adopted to an American family...the culture clash..the learning to adjust to one culture while losing the hold on the culture you were born into. Oooooh my...I think of it now as I type and it brings tears to my eyes. These girls fight..these girls come together..these girls share something so many other kids in this world face in the world of adoption.
A story brought to us by an adoptive mother....you can feel the true experience in the words. You can tell it comes from someone that has first hand knowledge of these experiences, emotions, and journey. I love that this book can get to the heart of real issues that girls (and boys) this age face with this experience while being a book that can be read by kids of this age but also grip an adult to their core. A beautiful read..a wonderful recommendation not just to children that have been adopted and going through their own personal struggles but for any kid so that they may get a deeper understanding of the issues that their peers may be facing.
A big thanks to the wonderful peeps at goodreads, Nancy Cavanaugh, and Source Books for the opportunity for the win of my free copy of this paperback version...in exchange for an honest review to which I gladly and voluntarily gave!!
April 14, 2016
Three Chinese girls, who were adopted from the same orphanage in China, are thrown together in summer camp by their parents and teachers. Two are good friends, accepting of their birth culture and their adopted family.
Julia, the narrator of the story, tells her tale through diary-style letters to her teacher and through narrative. Julia doesn’t feel connected to her heritage or her loud, fellow- Chinese adoptees, Becca and Avery. She refers to herself as half Italian, half Irish and half Chinese; she really wants to find a way to affiliate herself with the cultures of her adoptive parents. Becca and Avery embrace everything about their Chinese heritage; they show off chopstick skills while eating Cheetos, cool themselves with paper fans, and eat their snacks out of Chinese takeout containers. How will Julia survive the summer stuck in a cabin with Avery and Becca?
With each journal entry, Julia’s descriptions become less curmudgeon-like, and even though she claims she’s not bonding with her Chinese “sisters”, the evidence proves otherwise. If nothing else, there is safety in numbers when the three find they must share a cabin with Vanessa, a hyper-competitive camper, and her foster sister, Gina.
The girls struggle to accept one another and get along; the struggles are reminiscent of the movie The Parent Trap. The shared punishment leads to cooperation, but little things lead to another group blow up. While they lose the camp athletic competition, they win in the realization of how similar they are to each other. Instead of a trophy, they are awarded with new friends.
When left alone with her thoughts, Julia ponders her birth mother. Did she love me? Why did she give me up? Does she think about me? She’s so busy worrying about her own sad story to wonder if her cabin mates have struggles of their own. Ultimately, she learns that everyone has problems and that the other girls also make up little stories (pretend) to make their lives more palatable.
Cavanaugh, an adoptive mother, was inspired to write this story based on her experiences with her adopted child. Just Like Me explores the self-doubt felt by adopted and foster children as well as their wavering feelings about their heritage and their adopted culture. This feel-good story of acceptance and friendship is good for all ages, and it will be most appreciated by elementary to middle school aged readers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Visit the Book Junkie Reviews blog for more recommendations: https://abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
Julia, the narrator of the story, tells her tale through diary-style letters to her teacher and through narrative. Julia doesn’t feel connected to her heritage or her loud, fellow- Chinese adoptees, Becca and Avery. She refers to herself as half Italian, half Irish and half Chinese; she really wants to find a way to affiliate herself with the cultures of her adoptive parents. Becca and Avery embrace everything about their Chinese heritage; they show off chopstick skills while eating Cheetos, cool themselves with paper fans, and eat their snacks out of Chinese takeout containers. How will Julia survive the summer stuck in a cabin with Avery and Becca?
With each journal entry, Julia’s descriptions become less curmudgeon-like, and even though she claims she’s not bonding with her Chinese “sisters”, the evidence proves otherwise. If nothing else, there is safety in numbers when the three find they must share a cabin with Vanessa, a hyper-competitive camper, and her foster sister, Gina.
The girls struggle to accept one another and get along; the struggles are reminiscent of the movie The Parent Trap. The shared punishment leads to cooperation, but little things lead to another group blow up. While they lose the camp athletic competition, they win in the realization of how similar they are to each other. Instead of a trophy, they are awarded with new friends.
When left alone with her thoughts, Julia ponders her birth mother. Did she love me? Why did she give me up? Does she think about me? She’s so busy worrying about her own sad story to wonder if her cabin mates have struggles of their own. Ultimately, she learns that everyone has problems and that the other girls also make up little stories (pretend) to make their lives more palatable.
Cavanaugh, an adoptive mother, was inspired to write this story based on her experiences with her adopted child. Just Like Me explores the self-doubt felt by adopted and foster children as well as their wavering feelings about their heritage and their adopted culture. This feel-good story of acceptance and friendship is good for all ages, and it will be most appreciated by elementary to middle school aged readers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Visit the Book Junkie Reviews blog for more recommendations: https://abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
December 12, 2016
"Just because our three families traveled to China together and adopted us from the same orphanage when we were babies doesn't mean the three of us have to be best friends, does it?"
Three very different girls spend time at Camp Little Big Woods in an effort to "bond" with each other. There's Avery, a "walking, talking version of Wikipedia" who is studying Chinese vocabulary for fun. There's Becca, whose biggest interest is soccer, and "only had one volume and it was soccer-game loud." Then there's Julia, the narrator of the story, who doesn't want to bond with these two girls just because they have a life experience in common: they were all adopted from the same orphanage in China. Why is Julia so hesitant to embrace her Chinese heritage? Is she hiding a secret fear? "Sometimes people don't want to look back because they are afraid of facing the truth. But sometimes facing the truth we're afraid of is what makes us who we're really supposed to be."
These three are thrown together in White Oak Cabin along with Vanessa and Meredith, classic mean girls and Gina, who, as it turns out, is Vanessa's cousin, but they have nothing in common. Vanessa seems to be the hardest on Gina, though Gina seems to weather it well. "I guess she just feels so crummy about everything in her own life that she takes it out on whoever she can."
But this is a camp that promotes teamwork, sportsmanship and peace ... and this cabin is destined for hard times if they can't learn how to get along. The girls are all so very different and yet they all have problems in their lives. If they would only tell the truth to themselves and others. "And as it turns out, there is a lot of peace in the truth once you learn how to accept it."
Part of the book is Julia's journal writing, in which she tries to figure out who she really is and what she's really hiding from herself. "I wonder if there's a way to feel good about being me without pretending anything at all."
Based on the author's experience as an adoptive mother, this is a great story about friendship and self realization. A definite addition to my library collection.
Three very different girls spend time at Camp Little Big Woods in an effort to "bond" with each other. There's Avery, a "walking, talking version of Wikipedia" who is studying Chinese vocabulary for fun. There's Becca, whose biggest interest is soccer, and "only had one volume and it was soccer-game loud." Then there's Julia, the narrator of the story, who doesn't want to bond with these two girls just because they have a life experience in common: they were all adopted from the same orphanage in China. Why is Julia so hesitant to embrace her Chinese heritage? Is she hiding a secret fear? "Sometimes people don't want to look back because they are afraid of facing the truth. But sometimes facing the truth we're afraid of is what makes us who we're really supposed to be."
These three are thrown together in White Oak Cabin along with Vanessa and Meredith, classic mean girls and Gina, who, as it turns out, is Vanessa's cousin, but they have nothing in common. Vanessa seems to be the hardest on Gina, though Gina seems to weather it well. "I guess she just feels so crummy about everything in her own life that she takes it out on whoever she can."
But this is a camp that promotes teamwork, sportsmanship and peace ... and this cabin is destined for hard times if they can't learn how to get along. The girls are all so very different and yet they all have problems in their lives. If they would only tell the truth to themselves and others. "And as it turns out, there is a lot of peace in the truth once you learn how to accept it."
Part of the book is Julia's journal writing, in which she tries to figure out who she really is and what she's really hiding from herself. "I wonder if there's a way to feel good about being me without pretending anything at all."
Based on the author's experience as an adoptive mother, this is a great story about friendship and self realization. A definite addition to my library collection.
March 26, 2016
Julia is off to Camp Little Big Woods for a week with her “Chinese sisters”, Avery and Becca. The three girls aren’t really sisters, they were all just adopted from the same orphanage in China. The adoption agency that handled their adoptions has asked that the girls spend the week bonding and record their feelings and thoughts in a journal, for an article. Avery and Becca, who embrace their Chinese heritage, couldn’t be happier, but Julia rather be at home with her own BFFs. And things only get worse when the three girls arrive at camp and don’t get along with their bunk mates, causing them to keep losing points in the big cabin competition.
Nancy Cavanaugh’s Just Like Me is a tender, heartfelt story about friendship, family, and discovering who you are and where you belong. Cavanaugh infuses Julia’s story with a great deal of humor, heart, and sensitivity and explores topics like adoption, culture, family, wanting to belong, etc, with care and finesse. Told through traditional prose and Julia’s journal entry, Just Like Me captivates and entertains. Camp Little Big Woods makes for a fresh, summery setting that offers an adult presence, but allows the young characters to remain the focus of the story and shine. The girls of White Oak cabin (Julia’s cabin) experience many laugh-out-loud mishaps and embarrassing moments, as they compete in the cabin competitions, that readers will find amusing and relatable.
Though Just Like Me is told from Julia’s perspective, the story really belongs to all the girls of White Oak cabin: studious Avery, athletic Becca, funny Gina, bossy Vanessa and her tag-along friend Meredith, and, of course, endearing Julia. Young readers will really enjoy getting to know this engaging, eclectic bunch, celebrating in their triumphs and rooting for them in their trials, and will be inspired and encouraged by the girls’ journey throughout their week at camp.
my final thoughts: Sweet and sassy, funny and heartfelt, Just Like Me is fun, thoughtful middle-grade novel that will touch readers and leave them happy.
Nancy Cavanaugh’s Just Like Me is a tender, heartfelt story about friendship, family, and discovering who you are and where you belong. Cavanaugh infuses Julia’s story with a great deal of humor, heart, and sensitivity and explores topics like adoption, culture, family, wanting to belong, etc, with care and finesse. Told through traditional prose and Julia’s journal entry, Just Like Me captivates and entertains. Camp Little Big Woods makes for a fresh, summery setting that offers an adult presence, but allows the young characters to remain the focus of the story and shine. The girls of White Oak cabin (Julia’s cabin) experience many laugh-out-loud mishaps and embarrassing moments, as they compete in the cabin competitions, that readers will find amusing and relatable.
Though Just Like Me is told from Julia’s perspective, the story really belongs to all the girls of White Oak cabin: studious Avery, athletic Becca, funny Gina, bossy Vanessa and her tag-along friend Meredith, and, of course, endearing Julia. Young readers will really enjoy getting to know this engaging, eclectic bunch, celebrating in their triumphs and rooting for them in their trials, and will be inspired and encouraged by the girls’ journey throughout their week at camp.
my final thoughts: Sweet and sassy, funny and heartfelt, Just Like Me is fun, thoughtful middle-grade novel that will touch readers and leave them happy.
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