Raising Dad, Using Middle School Rules

by D.J. Renner

Tragedy strikes in a small Adirondack town in upstate New York. When Jess’s mother dies in a freak accident, she and her brother are devastated. Now, as they struggle to deal with their own grief, their father begins to fall apart. And there are other problems – the problems that come with navigating everyday middle school drama. Jess is determined to get Dad back on track. Armed with lessons learned in middle school and from her mother, she attempts to help everyone – except herself. Can Jess overcome her own grief to keep up her grades, maintain friendships, and handle the sudden attention of her long-time crush? This emotionally charged tale will have you cheering for the family to get back on track. An inspirational story that examines how people deal with grief and head toward recovery.

142 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 22, 2018

About the author

DJ Renner lives in upstate New York with his wife and three children. He has been a middle school/high school teacher for over 20 years. He coaches baseball and advises the chess club. He loves to travel and see the very diverse parts of the country.

Reviews

[Daniel Donovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent example of first person narrative. This work explores the stages of grief and subsequent mental health challenges related to losing a close family member. Some of the events came as a shock to me and definitely maintained my interest and drove the plot. This book is also written in a way that it is accessible to a younger audience while maintaining important social emotional themes. There should be more literature like this one that isn't afraid to tackle these challenging topics.