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Trowbridge Road
In a stunning novel set in the 1980s, a girl with heavy secrets awakens her sleepy street to the complexities of love and courage.
It’s the summer of ’83 on Trowbridge Road, and June Bug Jordan is hungry. Months after her father’s death from complications from AIDS, her mother has stopped cooking and refuses to leave the house, instead locking herself away to scour at the germs she believes are everywhere. June Bug threatens this precarious existence by going out into the neighborhood, gradually befriending Ziggy, an imaginative boy who is living with his Nana Jean after experiencing troubles of his own.
But as June Bug’s connection to the world grows stronger, her mother’s grows more distant — even dangerous — pushing June Bug to choose between truth and healing and the only home she has ever known.
Trowbridge Road paints an unwavering portrait of a girl and her family touched by mental illness and grief. Set in the Boston suburbs during the first years of the AIDS epidemic, the novel explores how a seemingly perfect neighborhood can contain restless ghosts and unspoken secrets. Written with deep insight and subtle lyricism by acclaimed author Marcella Pixley, Trowbridge Road demonstrates our power to rescue one another even when our hearts are broken.
It’s the summer of ’83 on Trowbridge Road, and June Bug Jordan is hungry. Months after her father’s death from complications from AIDS, her mother has stopped cooking and refuses to leave the house, instead locking herself away to scour at the germs she believes are everywhere. June Bug threatens this precarious existence by going out into the neighborhood, gradually befriending Ziggy, an imaginative boy who is living with his Nana Jean after experiencing troubles of his own.
But as June Bug’s connection to the world grows stronger, her mother’s grows more distant — even dangerous — pushing June Bug to choose between truth and healing and the only home she has ever known.
Trowbridge Road paints an unwavering portrait of a girl and her family touched by mental illness and grief. Set in the Boston suburbs during the first years of the AIDS epidemic, the novel explores how a seemingly perfect neighborhood can contain restless ghosts and unspoken secrets. Written with deep insight and subtle lyricism by acclaimed author Marcella Pixley, Trowbridge Road demonstrates our power to rescue one another even when our hearts are broken.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 2020
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1477 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
October 7, 2020
June Bug has a backpack filled with all the utensils and other supplies she needs to be clean enough to go back in her house. Her life is a never ending routine of cleaning and disinfecting -- to the point that she has burn marks from sitting in scalding bleach baths. It is 1983 and June's father is dead from AIDs. Her mother has fallen off the razor's edge of her creative genius and is obsessed with cleanliness to the point that all other needs are forgotten. Fortunately for June she has her Uncle Toby bringing groceries and her new friend Ziggy down the street. June Bug and Ziggy create their own secret universe in an abandoned cellar and escape the problems in their worlds. This would be a great book for a kid to read aloud with a parent or teacher as there are many issues to unpack including AIDs, mental illness, bullying, physical abuse, alcoholism and more. One of my favorite scenes is Ziggy's mom pouring out her heart to God in a prayer before breakfast. I also loved this quote: . . .the last rays of the setting sun slanting light across the old wooden table like an angel spreading its wings.
Thank you to Candlewick Press and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Candlewick Press and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2025
This is a middle grade book with a lot of heavy material. The middle grade genre is known for tackling hard issues (one of the reasons I love MG), but this one is unusually top heavy with trauma.
It's 1983, and June is trying to survive life with her mother. Her father was recently died, and June's mother is no longer capable of taking care of her. June relies on groceries from her uncle a few times a week, and tries to avoid decontamination sessions with her mother. Her father passed away from complications due to AIDS, and the disease is so new that even nurses at the hospital aren't sure how it's transmitted. June's mother has responded with gallons of bleach, latex gloves, and effectively sealing herself off from the world.
Next door, Ziggy has moved in with his grandfather. His mother is also unable to care for him, and Ziggy must deal with a new home, neighborhood, and soon, a new school. He's an easy target for the neighborhood kids because of his long red hair and strange clothes, but June sees a kindred spirit.
So ... this is actually the second middle grade book I've read recently where the mother character, suffering from mental illness, is literally unable to feed her child. It's so sad, and even sadder that there are kids out there that need to read these books and know that 1) this isn't something they have to deal with by themselves and 2) there are resources they can use to get help.
Anyway, there are a lot of issues dealt with in this novel: mental illness, homophobia, domestic abuse, neglect. June and Ziggy get by by pretending to live in a magical world where, for once, they have power over their own lives.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.
It's 1983, and June is trying to survive life with her mother. Her father was recently died, and June's mother is no longer capable of taking care of her. June relies on groceries from her uncle a few times a week, and tries to avoid decontamination sessions with her mother. Her father passed away from complications due to AIDS, and the disease is so new that even nurses at the hospital aren't sure how it's transmitted. June's mother has responded with gallons of bleach, latex gloves, and effectively sealing herself off from the world.
Next door, Ziggy has moved in with his grandfather. His mother is also unable to care for him, and Ziggy must deal with a new home, neighborhood, and soon, a new school. He's an easy target for the neighborhood kids because of his long red hair and strange clothes, but June sees a kindred spirit.
So ... this is actually the second middle grade book I've read recently where the mother character, suffering from mental illness, is literally unable to feed her child. It's so sad, and even sadder that there are kids out there that need to read these books and know that 1) this isn't something they have to deal with by themselves and 2) there are resources they can use to get help.
Anyway, there are a lot of issues dealt with in this novel: mental illness, homophobia, domestic abuse, neglect. June and Ziggy get by by pretending to live in a magical world where, for once, they have power over their own lives.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.
March 26, 2020
A beautifully written and ultimately hopeful book, though at times deeply sad, this novel demonstrates the way that life can be redeemed by friendships and found family. June Bug's father has died of AIDS, and her mother is sunk in grief. June is hungry all the time. Then one day a boy, who has problems of his own, comes to stay with his grandmother; the two children become friends and help each other forget their troubles through story-telling and play. I very much enjoyed the under-stated way the author dealt with various tough issues. I confess, though, to having a very slight feeling of being over-whelmed with all the different social problems; on the other hand, the author reminds us that very few families are as secure and happy as they may appear on the surface. So, although Pixley doesn't flinch from showing the damage that grief, mental illness and other issues can cause, ultimately the message is hopeful. Through caring and reaching out to others, children and their parents can make it through. I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 29, 2020
Thank you Pansing and Definitely Books for sending me a review copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I was surprised by how much I loved this novel. I felt so seen and I related to a lot of things that our main character, June has to go through and how she copes with it. It was tough at times to continue reading this book because I was rooting for her so badly so seeing her doing something that she doesn't know is wrong just really made me sad. So yes, I was really connected to the main character. Her relationship with her mother was very interesting and I was hoping to see a little more development in that part of the novel.
The writing was just the perfect balance of simple and flowery and it was right up my alley. It really helped to narrate June's perspective and effectively communicated all of her thoughts and feelings. It also helped to paint a picture of Trowbridge Road and I felt like I was there with the characters.
The plot of this story progressed normally and I would have liked to see a little bit more confrontations as I wasn't very satisfied with the ending. I feel like more could have been done and we could have gotten a proper heartfelt moment at the end of the book, which we sadly did not get.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I think this a perfect book to help all kids and adults alike to understand mental health and how we should deconstruct the stigma on the topic.
I was surprised by how much I loved this novel. I felt so seen and I related to a lot of things that our main character, June has to go through and how she copes with it. It was tough at times to continue reading this book because I was rooting for her so badly so seeing her doing something that she doesn't know is wrong just really made me sad. So yes, I was really connected to the main character. Her relationship with her mother was very interesting and I was hoping to see a little more development in that part of the novel.
The writing was just the perfect balance of simple and flowery and it was right up my alley. It really helped to narrate June's perspective and effectively communicated all of her thoughts and feelings. It also helped to paint a picture of Trowbridge Road and I felt like I was there with the characters.
The plot of this story progressed normally and I would have liked to see a little bit more confrontations as I wasn't very satisfied with the ending. I feel like more could have been done and we could have gotten a proper heartfelt moment at the end of the book, which we sadly did not get.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I think this a perfect book to help all kids and adults alike to understand mental health and how we should deconstruct the stigma on the topic.
October 2, 2020
Sometimes I imagined that my spying was the magic that tied Trowbridge Road to the world
How does anyone tell a story when there are so many beginnings to choose from?
Some of the things a hurting child needs.
The gift of everydayness
Sandwiches and hugging
Magic long hair
Moms to be healthy
Love that sticks
Not to worry
The world not on their shoulders
Not to be given up on
June Bug has she is called sees everything on her street of Trowbridge Road. She watches the strange red haired boy with his ferret who introduces her to a magical world. Two hurting children June and Ziggy have a hard reality that is softened by magic.
Sometimes telling the truth makes you weary.
June Bug and Ziggy are going thru difficult family circumstances that they reach out to each other and create a 9th dimension, a place to escape reality. As a parent, if my children would want to read this, I would like to be in the conversation. There is some hard hard stuff. The complexities of life and human nature. It is the author's attempt to give a voice to the voiceless to children that love their broken parents. That secrets and shame only destroy and finding someone to share your fears will only help and give hope. If you see your child reading this one, read it with them. Ask them what they think and how they can help others like Ziggy and June.
A special thank you to Candlewick Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
How does anyone tell a story when there are so many beginnings to choose from?
Some of the things a hurting child needs.
The gift of everydayness
Sandwiches and hugging
Magic long hair
Moms to be healthy
Love that sticks
Not to worry
The world not on their shoulders
Not to be given up on
June Bug has she is called sees everything on her street of Trowbridge Road. She watches the strange red haired boy with his ferret who introduces her to a magical world. Two hurting children June and Ziggy have a hard reality that is softened by magic.
Sometimes telling the truth makes you weary.
June Bug and Ziggy are going thru difficult family circumstances that they reach out to each other and create a 9th dimension, a place to escape reality. As a parent, if my children would want to read this, I would like to be in the conversation. There is some hard hard stuff. The complexities of life and human nature. It is the author's attempt to give a voice to the voiceless to children that love their broken parents. That secrets and shame only destroy and finding someone to share your fears will only help and give hope. If you see your child reading this one, read it with them. Ask them what they think and how they can help others like Ziggy and June.
A special thank you to Candlewick Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
September 28, 2020
This upper middle grade novel is a beautiful, heartbreaking yet hopeful story about parental mental illness, childhood trauma, and kinship care. Pixley represents the experience of child neglect with such honesty and empathy and she tells the story of two imaginative, resilient children, June Bug Jordan and Ziggy Karlo whose friendship offers the pair comfort and an escape as each deals with painful family situations.
December 5, 2020
Ziggy and June both come from difficult homes and are bullied by many of their peers. They create a world called Majestica where they make the rules, and wonderful things happen everyday. A wonderful summer of magic and adventure is threatened when the secrets the adults are carrying threaten to ruin everything.
"I knew if I told, it could expose the rotten beams, the crumbling foundation, and, in a single breath, I would destroy everything. How could I tell her that the secrets were what kept us standing on our feet? Every night, we gathered the secrets into our arms and cradled them to sleep...We promised we would protect them."
"I knew if I told, it could expose the rotten beams, the crumbling foundation, and, in a single breath, I would destroy everything. How could I tell her that the secrets were what kept us standing on our feet? Every night, we gathered the secrets into our arms and cradled them to sleep...We promised we would protect them."
February 9, 2024
A beautiful and moving tale of mental illness, death, trauma, and hope.
These characters will stick with me for a long, long time.
These characters will stick with me for a long, long time.
December 24, 2020
In a stunning novel set in the 1980s, a girl with heavy secrets awakens her sleepy street to the complexities of love and courage.
It’s the summer of ’83 on Trowbridge Road, and June Bug Jordan is hungry. Months after her father’s death from complications from AIDS, her mother has stopped cooking and refuses to leave the house, instead locking herself away to scour at the germs she believes are everywhere. June Bug threatens this precarious existence by going out into the neighborhood, gradually befriending Ziggy, an imaginative boy who is living with his Nana Jean after experiencing troubles of his own.
But as June Bug’s connection to the world grows stronger, her mother’s grows more distant — even dangerous — pushing June Bug to choose between truth and healing and the only home she has ever known.
Trowbridge Road paints an unwavering portrait of a girl and her family touched by mental illness and grief. Set in the Boston suburbs during the first years of the AIDS epidemic, the novel explores how a seemingly perfect neighborhood can contain restless ghosts and unspoken secrets. Written with deep insight and subtle lyricism by acclaimed author Marcella Pixley, Trowbridge Road demonstrates our power to rescue one another even when our hearts are broken.
Out October 2020
336 Pages
MY THOUGHTS:
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is a middle grade book aimed at preteens. It is often full of intense subjects regarding mental health, child neglect/abuse and bullying. There’s references to Aids during a time when it first became world-known for killing people. The cause was unknown at the time. Germaphobia is brought into the picture through June’s mother’s obsession. When June’s father dies, her mother shuts down leaving June to fend for herself with minimal help from an uncle. A sad reality that is very common in today’s society.
What prevails in this book is friendship and a strong survivor’s will. Despite the odds, the character struggles to survive and does so with her new friend’s help. They rely on each other.
There are many sub-issues addressed too, such as being bullied simply because a person is different and a ginger. Living on the edge of poverty and possibly becoming homeless, and its sad reality are brought in as challenges for the main character affecting character growth and development.
There is so much in this book that addresses mental illness. For such a young readership, this may be hard to read, but for others, this book may be something a person going through similar situations should know about and have on their shelf. This book shows that a person doesn’t have to feel alone, and, that mental illness is something more prominent in our societies than known.
This book carries a heavy burden of exposure, shows a darker reality to family situations involving mental illnesses, exposes a reality about living on the edge of homelessness, neglect, and abandonment. There is a dark, overall feeling to the story that does have a silver lining. You just have to plow your way through all the other bleak and poignant scenarios to get to it. I think this book would be better in a Young Adult category, simply because of the extent of topics included and readers’ ability to digest the information contained in the pages accordingly.
The reality of what they’re reading and relating too is important. Situations set good examples of what people deal with when mental illnesses are involved. The messages outweigh the gentle flow of exposure. I’m sure content may affect people’s view on whether or not this book will be read.
As a person who suffers severely from anxiety and panic attacks and one who comes from a family with members who suffer from mental issues like agoraphobia, I see the importance of this book and recommend it whole-heartedly to older middle-graders, and even young adults, adults to read. I know books use this context a lot lately, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to continue talking/writing about mental illnesses constructively so that the world of non-sufferers and sufferers can have a better understanding about issues outside their comfort zone and that having others know, isn’t a bad thing. I went until the age of 50 before finally openly telling my mom that I was a sufferer. I carried this all my life alone. No one should be alone and suffering.
It’s the summer of ’83 on Trowbridge Road, and June Bug Jordan is hungry. Months after her father’s death from complications from AIDS, her mother has stopped cooking and refuses to leave the house, instead locking herself away to scour at the germs she believes are everywhere. June Bug threatens this precarious existence by going out into the neighborhood, gradually befriending Ziggy, an imaginative boy who is living with his Nana Jean after experiencing troubles of his own.
But as June Bug’s connection to the world grows stronger, her mother’s grows more distant — even dangerous — pushing June Bug to choose between truth and healing and the only home she has ever known.
Trowbridge Road paints an unwavering portrait of a girl and her family touched by mental illness and grief. Set in the Boston suburbs during the first years of the AIDS epidemic, the novel explores how a seemingly perfect neighborhood can contain restless ghosts and unspoken secrets. Written with deep insight and subtle lyricism by acclaimed author Marcella Pixley, Trowbridge Road demonstrates our power to rescue one another even when our hearts are broken.
Out October 2020
336 Pages
MY THOUGHTS:
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is a middle grade book aimed at preteens. It is often full of intense subjects regarding mental health, child neglect/abuse and bullying. There’s references to Aids during a time when it first became world-known for killing people. The cause was unknown at the time. Germaphobia is brought into the picture through June’s mother’s obsession. When June’s father dies, her mother shuts down leaving June to fend for herself with minimal help from an uncle. A sad reality that is very common in today’s society.
What prevails in this book is friendship and a strong survivor’s will. Despite the odds, the character struggles to survive and does so with her new friend’s help. They rely on each other.
There are many sub-issues addressed too, such as being bullied simply because a person is different and a ginger. Living on the edge of poverty and possibly becoming homeless, and its sad reality are brought in as challenges for the main character affecting character growth and development.
There is so much in this book that addresses mental illness. For such a young readership, this may be hard to read, but for others, this book may be something a person going through similar situations should know about and have on their shelf. This book shows that a person doesn’t have to feel alone, and, that mental illness is something more prominent in our societies than known.
This book carries a heavy burden of exposure, shows a darker reality to family situations involving mental illnesses, exposes a reality about living on the edge of homelessness, neglect, and abandonment. There is a dark, overall feeling to the story that does have a silver lining. You just have to plow your way through all the other bleak and poignant scenarios to get to it. I think this book would be better in a Young Adult category, simply because of the extent of topics included and readers’ ability to digest the information contained in the pages accordingly.
The reality of what they’re reading and relating too is important. Situations set good examples of what people deal with when mental illnesses are involved. The messages outweigh the gentle flow of exposure. I’m sure content may affect people’s view on whether or not this book will be read.
As a person who suffers severely from anxiety and panic attacks and one who comes from a family with members who suffer from mental issues like agoraphobia, I see the importance of this book and recommend it whole-heartedly to older middle-graders, and even young adults, adults to read. I know books use this context a lot lately, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to continue talking/writing about mental illnesses constructively so that the world of non-sufferers and sufferers can have a better understanding about issues outside their comfort zone and that having others know, isn’t a bad thing. I went until the age of 50 before finally openly telling my mom that I was a sufferer. I carried this all my life alone. No one should be alone and suffering.
July 14, 2023
I picked this book because it's by a local author Marcela Pixley is from massachusetts and that's a bingo Square on my summer reading for my local library. And recently while driving on Cape Cod I saw a road called Trowbridge Road so I am anxious to see if that is the same road she's talking about in the title of this book. So the answer is no she is not talking about that Trowbridge Road but she is talking about Trowbridge Road in Newton Massachusetts near the Newton Highlands stop on the train which is something I am familiar with as my husband worked in Newton for many many years. So we don't know that road in particular we do know Newton Highlands on the train stop for sure.
I very much enjoyed reading this book. Unintentionally have themes during my summer like last year was the union summer and this year seems to be books about children in terrible situations. Starting with demon Copperhead which was an excellent book but the lives of the children in that book were awful to say the least. Then I read we contain multitudes which again I thought was going to be a light romance and ended up exposing terrible situations for children again. And now this book Trowbridge Road is about two young kids who also have some pretty awful situations. Our main character, June Bug, lost her father to the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s I believe the book takes place in 1983 and she lives with her mother who struggling with mental illness. The mental illness is resulting in excessive cleaning and her be inability to accept your daughter being dirty in any way. And the young gentleman in our book,Ziggy, has a mom who's clearly an alcoholic and living with an abusive boyfriend who has harmed both the mother and the kid in the past. And then of course there is bullies in in this book as well but I feel as though the parents were the biggest aggressors of all.
I very much enjoyed pixley's writing style in this book and her portrayal of how the play of children can seem real is on point. I also like the hopefulness in the story although some bad things did happen in the end it looked like the children in the story we're going to get the love and care that they need from some adults in their lives. I also like the honesty of the main character when she finally discloses all the things that have been happening with her mom and her mental illness at her house. Often in books I want to scream to the characters just tell someone and someone will help you and in this book that does happen which is excellent.
Finally I want to say that the mother's mental illness is is so relatable. When she asks questions like could I die from a splinter in my foot? And the husband answers no you can't. But she asks are you sure how can you be sure? I deal with a struggle to understand probability in that sense as well I also want to be assured 100% that something is safe. That I can't die from a splinter for example although I've never asked that particular question I do understand that in the sort of strange way. When i worry about thi gs that are just barely possible, but very very unlikely.
And I also understand in some way on some level the mother's wanting to clean things and then clean the thing that cleaned the things. There have been times in my life when I have maybe felt that loop inside my head of wanting things to go a certain way. I think about how I used to draw x's in the air when I was a child and I I hated that there was no way to not make a loop between the bottom of one diagonal line and the top of the next one. It's hard to explain but during the covid shut down for example at first we weren't sure if we should be touching things that were handled by other people. We now know that covid is spread as a respiratory virus but at that time you know it was like should we be cleaning our groceries if someone dropped something off at our door should we touch it or should we let it sit in the Sun for a while.? At any rate to some small degree I feel I can relate to the mental illness that is portrayed in this book. And then of course we could bring up my superstitious beliefs about if we have a game for example and of course our team is blue it's bad luck to touch anything red. And you can go down that road you know my kids are out of the house is it bad luck to do this or that cuz I want them to return safely. Which of course I know logically makes no sense but somewhere somehow superstitions have started over time and I can relate. How is that different from the Red Sox not shaving their beards until they win all the games? It's all related.
I very much enjoyed reading this book. Unintentionally have themes during my summer like last year was the union summer and this year seems to be books about children in terrible situations. Starting with demon Copperhead which was an excellent book but the lives of the children in that book were awful to say the least. Then I read we contain multitudes which again I thought was going to be a light romance and ended up exposing terrible situations for children again. And now this book Trowbridge Road is about two young kids who also have some pretty awful situations. Our main character, June Bug, lost her father to the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s I believe the book takes place in 1983 and she lives with her mother who struggling with mental illness. The mental illness is resulting in excessive cleaning and her be inability to accept your daughter being dirty in any way. And the young gentleman in our book,Ziggy, has a mom who's clearly an alcoholic and living with an abusive boyfriend who has harmed both the mother and the kid in the past. And then of course there is bullies in in this book as well but I feel as though the parents were the biggest aggressors of all.
I very much enjoyed pixley's writing style in this book and her portrayal of how the play of children can seem real is on point. I also like the hopefulness in the story although some bad things did happen in the end it looked like the children in the story we're going to get the love and care that they need from some adults in their lives. I also like the honesty of the main character when she finally discloses all the things that have been happening with her mom and her mental illness at her house. Often in books I want to scream to the characters just tell someone and someone will help you and in this book that does happen which is excellent.
Finally I want to say that the mother's mental illness is is so relatable. When she asks questions like could I die from a splinter in my foot? And the husband answers no you can't. But she asks are you sure how can you be sure? I deal with a struggle to understand probability in that sense as well I also want to be assured 100% that something is safe. That I can't die from a splinter for example although I've never asked that particular question I do understand that in the sort of strange way. When i worry about thi gs that are just barely possible, but very very unlikely.
And I also understand in some way on some level the mother's wanting to clean things and then clean the thing that cleaned the things. There have been times in my life when I have maybe felt that loop inside my head of wanting things to go a certain way. I think about how I used to draw x's in the air when I was a child and I I hated that there was no way to not make a loop between the bottom of one diagonal line and the top of the next one. It's hard to explain but during the covid shut down for example at first we weren't sure if we should be touching things that were handled by other people. We now know that covid is spread as a respiratory virus but at that time you know it was like should we be cleaning our groceries if someone dropped something off at our door should we touch it or should we let it sit in the Sun for a while.? At any rate to some small degree I feel I can relate to the mental illness that is portrayed in this book. And then of course we could bring up my superstitious beliefs about if we have a game for example and of course our team is blue it's bad luck to touch anything red. And you can go down that road you know my kids are out of the house is it bad luck to do this or that cuz I want them to return safely. Which of course I know logically makes no sense but somewhere somehow superstitions have started over time and I can relate. How is that different from the Red Sox not shaving their beards until they win all the games? It's all related.
October 4, 2020
Marcella Pixley's Trowbridge Road is as magical and disorienting as a childhood memory. Games of make-believe, secret hiding places, the fragility of new friendships, and the initial awkwardness and explosive joy of finding a kindred spirit bring June Bug's story to life in ways that take you back to your own childhood. But though Marcella Pixley fills these moments of happiness and laughter to the brim with rich and colourful detail, she also doesn't hold back when June Bug and Ziggy experience real pain and sorrow. Both characters are lonely children, and both characters crave love and acceptance from the people around them. Though many heavy topics come up in the story, the characters' deep emotional wounds are addressed and described with empathy and tenderness.
I loved the way Marcella Pixley told this story. The way she describes the world from June Bug's eyes (from the people in her neighbourhood, to the sound of her mother's cello singing mournfully through the house) is quietly evocative and effortlessly beautiful. There were some passages in the book that brought tears to my eyes because of how lovely they were. I really liked following June Bug on her journey, and enjoyed this book even more because of Marcella Pixley's writing.
This book is about a lot of things: imagination, innocence, family, friendship, forgiveness, mental illness, trauma, and the responsibility of loving someone. But ultimately, Trowbridge Road is a story about love, and the struggles of learning how to love: about romantic love, about familial love, about self-sacrificial love, and about love between two friends who (despite their differences) are, at heart, kindred spirits.
(Just a quick note: this book mentions and in some cases, addresses abuse in several romantic relationships, bullying, implied physical harm/pain inflicted on the main characters, and parental neglect. As I mentioned before, Marcella Pixley does approach these topics gently and respectfully, but some of the scenes may be distressing for younger or more sensitive readers.)
*Thank you to Candlewick Press for providing an ARC!
I loved the way Marcella Pixley told this story. The way she describes the world from June Bug's eyes (from the people in her neighbourhood, to the sound of her mother's cello singing mournfully through the house) is quietly evocative and effortlessly beautiful. There were some passages in the book that brought tears to my eyes because of how lovely they were. I really liked following June Bug on her journey, and enjoyed this book even more because of Marcella Pixley's writing.
This book is about a lot of things: imagination, innocence, family, friendship, forgiveness, mental illness, trauma, and the responsibility of loving someone. But ultimately, Trowbridge Road is a story about love, and the struggles of learning how to love: about romantic love, about familial love, about self-sacrificial love, and about love between two friends who (despite their differences) are, at heart, kindred spirits.
(Just a quick note: this book mentions and in some cases, addresses abuse in several romantic relationships, bullying, implied physical harm/pain inflicted on the main characters, and parental neglect. As I mentioned before, Marcella Pixley does approach these topics gently and respectfully, but some of the scenes may be distressing for younger or more sensitive readers.)
*Thank you to Candlewick Press for providing an ARC!
March 7, 2021
This book was very cute but quite serious. There was a nice balance between dotty characters filled with issues and secrets and their thoughtful counterparts who help them through life. This book is full of nostalgic childhood emotions/memories, both good and bad, and it was written in a detailed and realistic way. This book does not show a child's lighthearted outlook at life. It is written in a point of view from a child who is having to grow up mentally, enduring traumatic events such as their father's death and her mother's increased loss of sanity. Mental illness, bullying, friendship, love, loss, and much more simple things in life are shown in this book. It was written beautifully, and at times could be quite heart-wrenching. Only reason for 4 and not 5 stars is because it just wasn't my favorite book ever. Personally I think I would've preferred a more in depth ending, but other than that it was great. So 4 maybe 4.5 stars.
SPOILERs (maybe??)
personal notes/things to remember/fav things:
-June's mom's cello and mental illness
-her father's secrets and friends
-1980's
-June's and Ziggy's friendship (the tree and Majestica)
-Uncle Toby and Nana Jean
-Ziggy's relationship with his mom
-Jenny's (Ziggy's mom) relationship with Donny
-how the kids in the neighborhood played
-imagery with music and smells
-imagination from June and Ziggy
-Nana Jeans husband/Jenny's trauma as a kid (relating to her current circumstance)
-Jenny, Uncle Toby, and June's Father as kids relating to June and Ziggy
-June's harsh words towards her mother (sandwich/father + foster/mom)
SPOILERs (maybe??)
personal notes/things to remember/fav things:
-June's mom's cello and mental illness
-her father's secrets and friends
-1980's
-June's and Ziggy's friendship (the tree and Majestica)
-Uncle Toby and Nana Jean
-Ziggy's relationship with his mom
-Jenny's (Ziggy's mom) relationship with Donny
-how the kids in the neighborhood played
-imagery with music and smells
-imagination from June and Ziggy
-Nana Jeans husband/Jenny's trauma as a kid (relating to her current circumstance)
-Jenny, Uncle Toby, and June's Father as kids relating to June and Ziggy
-June's harsh words towards her mother (sandwich/father + foster/mom)
February 10, 2020
Trowbridge Road by Marcella Pixley
Set in 1983 in Boston, ten year old June Bug Joran is struggling with the loss of her Father from Aids. Her Mom is not (mentally) in the best place, as June Bug struggles to live a (somewhat) normal life. Along with her new best friend Ziggy, who lives with his grandmother (Nana Jean) the two rely on each other for support and try to cope with their trying times.
A fantastic story dealing with the stigma of Aids, when it first became prevalent, and not much was known about it. Mental illness is also approached, which takes a toll on everyone, and the damage that can occur when not addressed.
The story moves at a steady pace, with attention to detail, true facts, well developed likable characters. Family is torn, hearts are broken, friendships are gained, life lessons are learned. Overall I found Trowbridge Road an emotional, compelling read, I highly recommend to all.
Set in 1983 in Boston, ten year old June Bug Joran is struggling with the loss of her Father from Aids. Her Mom is not (mentally) in the best place, as June Bug struggles to live a (somewhat) normal life. Along with her new best friend Ziggy, who lives with his grandmother (Nana Jean) the two rely on each other for support and try to cope with their trying times.
A fantastic story dealing with the stigma of Aids, when it first became prevalent, and not much was known about it. Mental illness is also approached, which takes a toll on everyone, and the damage that can occur when not addressed.
The story moves at a steady pace, with attention to detail, true facts, well developed likable characters. Family is torn, hearts are broken, friendships are gained, life lessons are learned. Overall I found Trowbridge Road an emotional, compelling read, I highly recommend to all.
June 16, 2022
I first heard of this book at this year's NCTE conference, and I ordered it immediately. It is a powerful story, set in the AIDS crisis of the 1980's. It is a story of the tragedy, prejudice, and misinformation stirred up by this mystifying (at the time) pandemic that swept the world. The characters of several generations are vivid and well-drawn. The story of June Bug Jordan and Ziggy Karlo is compelling, hard to face, and ultimately full of hope.
This is the author's first book, which is sometimes evident, but overall, it is a compelling, painful, and rewarding book to read. The tragedy of keeping secrets plays out in so many lives.
This is the author's first book, which is sometimes evident, but overall, it is a compelling, painful, and rewarding book to read. The tragedy of keeping secrets plays out in so many lives.
July 2, 2022
June does not have an easy life-a father who died from AIDS, a mother sinking deeper and deeper into her mental illness. Ziggy doesn't have an easy time of it either-a mother who is dealing with domestic violence and addiction. Sounds like a downer but June and Ziggy find each other and create a magical world where they can disappear to a world of their own making. While this sounds like it could be a downer, both children are blessed with an adult in their lives who give them a safe place with unconditional love. I don't easily cry with books but I teared up a little with this one. Just a warning, there is some detailed descriptions of the abuse that June suffers.
July 31, 2021
I love this book so much my heart oh my god I cried so many times. Ziggy and june bug are truly gems (uncle toby and nana jean too). Their friendship is just I do not have the words to describe how much love I have for them. The way this book showed how healing make believe can be I kinda forgot abt that aspect of childhood. Being able to fully escape that way it's nice. I think the book captured that v v well.
ANYWAYS PLS READ THIS BOOK GUYS
ANYWAYS PLS READ THIS BOOK GUYS
October 7, 2020
Slightly reminiscent of Bridge to Terebithia in terms of the characters' flights of fancy, this book is nevertheless deeply rooted in reality--namely, the reality of June Bug Jordan, a 10 year old girl in the early 80s whose father has recently died of AIDS. In the wake of this tragedy, her mother has stopped feeding June Bug or eating herself, and has developed an obsession with cleanliness that results in bleach baths and other preventative measures. Not until June Bug meets Ziggy, a boy with his own secrets and problems, does she begin to find the strength within to admit the truth of her situation. Lyrica, profoundly heart-wrenching, and ultimately hopeful, this book is certainly worth picking up for its depictions of mental illness, grief, and community.
June 2, 2023
I think this middle grade novel needs more attention. It’s almost a Bridge to Terebithia, with the close friendship and deeply imaginative main characters, but it also addresses mental health, the stigma with AIDS in the 90’s, and how kids handle really tough stuff. Definitely adding this one to the shelves of the classroom library.
February 21, 2025
I thought I had held it together, but the last chapter had me crying. Some readers may find it too twee or sentimental, but a story about love, family, and accepting the help of one's found community is right up my (literary) alley. The brief moments of magical realism are an added delight.
January 22, 2025
Some amazing, visceral scenes... and no sugar-coating. Is catalogued as YA at my library, but definitely should be junior. I loved reading it aloud and would happily do so again.
March 7, 2025
Wow! I went into this book completely blind and was not expecting it to be so emotional! These are pretty heavy themes for middle grade but also not. I need to check out more from this author!
May 14, 2022
A very touching story that will bring you to tears. Two children meet and become best friends, both dealing with mothers that have issues. They stick together and help each other through the rough spots. Such a sad story but written beautifully.
September 7, 2024
Wow, some middle grade books are simply brutal (brutiful?) and this one really got me in the gut.
July 30, 2021
Many difficult topics were handled in such a deft way. Kudos!
November 3, 2021
If I keep blinking, i can see to type ;)
This is a terribly sad story on all kinds of levels. Brilliant storytelling about an uncertain time in history. I liked the dialogue between Jenny and June, sometimes you don't have to say the appropriate thing
This is a terribly sad story on all kinds of levels. Brilliant storytelling about an uncertain time in history. I liked the dialogue between Jenny and June, sometimes you don't have to say the appropriate thing
March 13, 2022
Such a whimsical but simultaneously hard hitting book dealing with the things you wish no child would have to deal with- a father who died of aids, a mother battling with mental illness, neglect, a friend who is bullied & dealing with an alcoholic abused mother. And yet there is the beauty of their friendship, the magical realism of their fantasy & the companionship.
May 29, 2020
The world is filled with trauma, and parents are not immune. Often, when adults have wounds that cannot heal, their children suffer. June Bug and Ziggy of Trowbridge Road have taken on the troubles of the adults in their lives and carry them in secret. Pixley's book about silent suffering spreads the important message that comfort and change can only be found in trusting others. Trowbridge Road is story that moves you with it's depiction of trauma, then lifts you with hope and healing.
March 28, 2020
“Trowbridge Road” is just painfully exquisite. The author, Marcella Pixley, does a fantastic job of weaving trauma with childlike wonder, light and imagination, in a way that is just simply magnificent. This middle-grade read is difficult to read, and I cried as I read about what June Bug endures, and learned about what her new best friend, Ziggy, and his family have gone through as well. This story presents mental illness, the unknown aspects of AIDS in the 80s, abuse, and so much more in such an honest and difficult way, and I truly appreciate that. Yet, Pixley shows us that the truth is complicated, and that love can be there in the midst of it.
June Bug’s Dad has recently died of AIDS and her mother is suffering from a mental breakdown, as things that she always struggled with have come to the surface with a vengeance. June is scarcely fed, and if she is it is only because her wonderful uncle has brought food. There are so many painful things that June deals with, due to her mother’s mental state, but she loves her mother dearly, and her mother truly does love her, although she is incapable of taking care of her.
Ziggy now lives with his grandmother, and can relate to June so well because he has experienced his own hardships at home with his mother Jenny. Jenny too loves Ziggy but is unable to care for him as she should. Ziggy has been bullied relentlessly and wants nothing more than to be loved for who he is. The friends understand each other on a level that few could, and found each other when both needed a friend so badly. They create a magical make believe world together and it is extraordinary to see their love and compassion for one another.
“Trowbridge Road” is an exceptional and important read, but it is heavy and sad. The love of friends and family does shine through, and I loved this book so much.
June Bug’s Dad has recently died of AIDS and her mother is suffering from a mental breakdown, as things that she always struggled with have come to the surface with a vengeance. June is scarcely fed, and if she is it is only because her wonderful uncle has brought food. There are so many painful things that June deals with, due to her mother’s mental state, but she loves her mother dearly, and her mother truly does love her, although she is incapable of taking care of her.
Ziggy now lives with his grandmother, and can relate to June so well because he has experienced his own hardships at home with his mother Jenny. Jenny too loves Ziggy but is unable to care for him as she should. Ziggy has been bullied relentlessly and wants nothing more than to be loved for who he is. The friends understand each other on a level that few could, and found each other when both needed a friend so badly. They create a magical make believe world together and it is extraordinary to see their love and compassion for one another.
“Trowbridge Road” is an exceptional and important read, but it is heavy and sad. The love of friends and family does shine through, and I loved this book so much.
October 4, 2020
A remarkable novel, exquisitely written and elegantly told, set in a devastatingly painful world of trauma where imagination, friendship, and love sustains. Pixley's exceptionally gifted ability to honestly capture the inner lives of children are reminiscent of the best works of Katherine Paterson and Kevin Henkes.
May 22, 2023
There are so many things to like about this dark, complicated, hope-filled novel! Let's start with Marcella Pixley's writing, which is lush and descriptive and would make for a wonderful book for the right middle-grade student.
"It was clear that the summer was about to change as soon as Jenny Karlo's rusty old Chevy came clattering down Trowbridge Road at a quarter past two, the radio pounding heavy metal into the neighborhood, shattering the lazy Thursday afternoon like a rock through a dusty window."
That was just the first paragraph. I was hooked!
Let's talk about the cast of characters: June Bug, her mother, and her uncle Toby, Ziggy, his mother Jenny, and his grandmother Nana Jean. June Bug's father has recently died of AIDS, and her mother's spiral into depression has left her barely able to hang on. A former musician, playing the cello is the only thing that makes her feel alive. She hides under the covers all day, unable to feed her 10-year-old daughter.
June Bug loves nothing better than to climb the copper beech tree next to Nana Jean’s house and watch the world go by, imagining herself in the lives of the people she watches. That is, until Jenny drops her son Ziggy off at her mother’s, for a while. Nana Jean embraces Ziggy, sharing food and as much love as she can give him. Because Ziggy, too, has a secret that he keeps from the world.
June Bug and Ziggy (and his pet ferret, Matthew) become fast friends, and the pages of how they enter the ninth realm, and how they create Majestica are filled with the colorful imaginations of children. I was reminded of A Bridge to Terabithia on more than one occasion. Pixley creates a world where children find their way, creating worlds where they have some control. The two children’s acceptance and how they become safe spaces for each other is heartwarming.
There are many heavy topics discussed in this book, and for that reason, it would take a compassionate and willing teacher to walk through the topics with students. Mental health, obsessive compulsions, alcoholism, loneliness, bullying and physical abuse are big topics alone, but with the children’s large hearts, and the love surrounding them, this ultimately is a book filled with hope.
“And now I know another truth too. A daughter can tell her story and the house can stay standing and the floor can stay whole. A daughter can tell the truth and a mother can listen.”
May it be so.
"It was clear that the summer was about to change as soon as Jenny Karlo's rusty old Chevy came clattering down Trowbridge Road at a quarter past two, the radio pounding heavy metal into the neighborhood, shattering the lazy Thursday afternoon like a rock through a dusty window."
That was just the first paragraph. I was hooked!
Let's talk about the cast of characters: June Bug, her mother, and her uncle Toby, Ziggy, his mother Jenny, and his grandmother Nana Jean. June Bug's father has recently died of AIDS, and her mother's spiral into depression has left her barely able to hang on. A former musician, playing the cello is the only thing that makes her feel alive. She hides under the covers all day, unable to feed her 10-year-old daughter.
June Bug loves nothing better than to climb the copper beech tree next to Nana Jean’s house and watch the world go by, imagining herself in the lives of the people she watches. That is, until Jenny drops her son Ziggy off at her mother’s, for a while. Nana Jean embraces Ziggy, sharing food and as much love as she can give him. Because Ziggy, too, has a secret that he keeps from the world.
June Bug and Ziggy (and his pet ferret, Matthew) become fast friends, and the pages of how they enter the ninth realm, and how they create Majestica are filled with the colorful imaginations of children. I was reminded of A Bridge to Terabithia on more than one occasion. Pixley creates a world where children find their way, creating worlds where they have some control. The two children’s acceptance and how they become safe spaces for each other is heartwarming.
There are many heavy topics discussed in this book, and for that reason, it would take a compassionate and willing teacher to walk through the topics with students. Mental health, obsessive compulsions, alcoholism, loneliness, bullying and physical abuse are big topics alone, but with the children’s large hearts, and the love surrounding them, this ultimately is a book filled with hope.
“And now I know another truth too. A daughter can tell her story and the house can stay standing and the floor can stay whole. A daughter can tell the truth and a mother can listen.”
May it be so.
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