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Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen
Maple is in fifth grade—again. Now everyone will find out she struggles with reading—or will they? An engaging read for anyone who has ever felt different.
Maple Mehta-Cohen has been keeping a secret: she can’t read all that well. She has an impressive vocabulary and loves dictating stories into her recorder—especially the adventures of a daring sleuth who’s half Indian and half Jewish like Maple herself—but words on the page just don’t seem to make sense to her.
Despite all Maple’s clever tricks to hide her troubles with reading, her teacher is on to her, and now Maple has to repeat fifth grade. Maple is devastated—what will her friends think? Will they forget about her? She uses her storytelling skills to convince her classmates that she's staying back as a special teacher’s assistant (because of budget cuts, you know). But as Maple navigates the loss of old friendships, the possibility of new ones, and facing her reading challenges head-on, her deception becomes harder to keep up.
Can Maple begin to recognize her own strengths, and to love herself—and her brain—just the way she is? Readers who have faced their own trials with school and friendships will enjoy this heartwarming story and its bright, creative heroine.
Maple Mehta-Cohen has been keeping a secret: she can’t read all that well. She has an impressive vocabulary and loves dictating stories into her recorder—especially the adventures of a daring sleuth who’s half Indian and half Jewish like Maple herself—but words on the page just don’t seem to make sense to her.
Despite all Maple’s clever tricks to hide her troubles with reading, her teacher is on to her, and now Maple has to repeat fifth grade. Maple is devastated—what will her friends think? Will they forget about her? She uses her storytelling skills to convince her classmates that she's staying back as a special teacher’s assistant (because of budget cuts, you know). But as Maple navigates the loss of old friendships, the possibility of new ones, and facing her reading challenges head-on, her deception becomes harder to keep up.
Can Maple begin to recognize her own strengths, and to love herself—and her brain—just the way she is? Readers who have faced their own trials with school and friendships will enjoy this heartwarming story and its bright, creative heroine.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published July 27, 2021
20 people are currently reading
436 people want to read
About the author
Kate McGovern
16 books7 followersKate McGovern is the author of the young adult novels Rules for 50/50 Chances and Fear of Missing Out, which received starred reviews. She has worked in schools and education nonprofits in Boston, London, and New York City, including at the Harlem Children's Zone, where she served as a reading specialist and directed Shakespeare productions with middle-schoolers. Her daughter, Priya, is the original "Hin-Jew" kid that Maple is written for. Kate McGovern lives in an Indian-Jewish household in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
December 1, 2021
Maple is a fifth grader.
She struggles with reading, even though she has a wonderful vocabulary and is a great story teller.
Her parents show wonderful patience and confidence in Maple, standing by, but not intervening.
Her family has a tradition for gift giving that I thought was marvelously wonderful.
Everyone gets four small gifts.
-Something you want
-Something you need
-Something to wear
-Something to read.
Maple is wonderful company and addresses a common situation that many young people struggle with.
She struggles with reading, even though she has a wonderful vocabulary and is a great story teller.
Her parents show wonderful patience and confidence in Maple, standing by, but not intervening.
Her family has a tradition for gift giving that I thought was marvelously wonderful.
Everyone gets four small gifts.
-Something you want
-Something you need
-Something to wear
-Something to read.
Maple is wonderful company and addresses a common situation that many young people struggle with.
Read
October 18, 2021Can life be over for a 5th grader? When Maple Mehta-Cohen learns that she will be held back for a second year in 5th grade, she is fairly certain her life is over. How was she to know the secret she had been keeping from her family and friends would end up causing this disaster? Maple can't read.
Maple's teacher breaks the news to Maple's parents by saying the school believes Maple needs to repeat the 5th grade so her reading skills can improve before she begins middle school. This is definitely news to her parents, and she realizes it will be news to her best friends who will be moving on to 6th grade in a few short weeks. How will she ever explain things to them?
It turns out Maple has characteristics of dyslexia. That explains why words look like little moving snakes shifting around on the page. Maple knows she has always been a slow reader, and she has always sort of copied her way through assignments so no one would know just how difficult reading was for her. Not only will she be in 5th grade again, she will be going to work in the library with the other kids in the low reading group.
Author Kate McGovern captures the fear and frustration of someone hiding a secret like Maple. Thinking everyone will think less of her and fearing her parents will be disappointed to have a kid who isn't smart, Maple believes she is living a nightmare. Readers of all abilities will learn from Maple and her experiences.
Maple's teacher breaks the news to Maple's parents by saying the school believes Maple needs to repeat the 5th grade so her reading skills can improve before she begins middle school. This is definitely news to her parents, and she realizes it will be news to her best friends who will be moving on to 6th grade in a few short weeks. How will she ever explain things to them?
It turns out Maple has characteristics of dyslexia. That explains why words look like little moving snakes shifting around on the page. Maple knows she has always been a slow reader, and she has always sort of copied her way through assignments so no one would know just how difficult reading was for her. Not only will she be in 5th grade again, she will be going to work in the library with the other kids in the low reading group.
Author Kate McGovern captures the fear and frustration of someone hiding a secret like Maple. Thinking everyone will think less of her and fearing her parents will be disappointed to have a kid who isn't smart, Maple believes she is living a nightmare. Readers of all abilities will learn from Maple and her experiences.
April 7, 2022
Welcome Back Maple Mehta-Cohen by Kate McGovern, 2021, is an excellent work of middle grade fiction. Welcome Back Maple Mehta-Cohen is a realistic middle grade book about Maple and her struggle to accept that she can’t read (and thus is being held back in fifth grade) and begin her journey toward literacy while maneuvering the social and emotional time of being a preteen.
Maple is a fifth grader with two special friends. They are going onto sixth grade, and she is returning to fifth grade for a second year. She is humiliated by being held back. McGovern does not shy away from the layers of social challenges Maple faces. Maple has a White Jewish mother and an Indian father. She refers to herself as a Hin-Jew.
As a returning fifth grader, Maple creates a story she shares with fellow classmates. She explains to them that due to budget cuts at the school – teachers need help and she returned to fifth grade to be a teacher’s helper. One untruth quickly leads to another and before she knows it, Maple is in a tangled mess false information she has created to not face the reality of being held back because she can’t read.
Maple is unsettled about: returning to fifth grade, feeling both self-confident (she is a good storyteller) and full of self-doubt (she can’t read), being labeled as a learning disables kid, being biracial (in a school where this is not very common), and she has lost her two best friends.
Maple is a storyteller. She has a great vocabulary and basically is normal, except she can’t read.
I think this is an excellent Middle School book. Many preteens are either still not able to read or read with very little confidence. Maple’s path of hiding her reading and learning differences is not the only way a young person might deal with not being able to read. And it is a realistic story of one path. I recommend this book!
Stories about literacy challenges are important for everybody to read. I believe all kids can learn to read. Yet not all do it in first grade or even in fifth grade. McGovern suggests readers check out the website https://www.understood.org/ to learn about the 1 in 5 Americans who learn and think differently.
I, too, could not read in fifth grade. If you like, you can read my story at https://jerryjennings.wordpress.com/2...
Maple is a fifth grader with two special friends. They are going onto sixth grade, and she is returning to fifth grade for a second year. She is humiliated by being held back. McGovern does not shy away from the layers of social challenges Maple faces. Maple has a White Jewish mother and an Indian father. She refers to herself as a Hin-Jew.
As a returning fifth grader, Maple creates a story she shares with fellow classmates. She explains to them that due to budget cuts at the school – teachers need help and she returned to fifth grade to be a teacher’s helper. One untruth quickly leads to another and before she knows it, Maple is in a tangled mess false information she has created to not face the reality of being held back because she can’t read.
Maple is unsettled about: returning to fifth grade, feeling both self-confident (she is a good storyteller) and full of self-doubt (she can’t read), being labeled as a learning disables kid, being biracial (in a school where this is not very common), and she has lost her two best friends.
Maple is a storyteller. She has a great vocabulary and basically is normal, except she can’t read.
I think this is an excellent Middle School book. Many preteens are either still not able to read or read with very little confidence. Maple’s path of hiding her reading and learning differences is not the only way a young person might deal with not being able to read. And it is a realistic story of one path. I recommend this book!
Stories about literacy challenges are important for everybody to read. I believe all kids can learn to read. Yet not all do it in first grade or even in fifth grade. McGovern suggests readers check out the website https://www.understood.org/ to learn about the 1 in 5 Americans who learn and think differently.
I, too, could not read in fifth grade. If you like, you can read my story at https://jerryjennings.wordpress.com/2...
December 13, 2021
This is going to be an important book to so many kids. It checks a lot of boxes for the making of a great middle-grade book: messy family situations, changing dynamics with friends, and trying to figure out who you are. What makes this stand out from the rest, is that Maple is repeating fifth grade because it's finally discovered that she can barely read. She is a great storyteller and loves books and being read to, but over the years fooled all of those around her with many complicated workarounds when it came to actually reading the words on a page. I loved that she was surrounded by some awesome teachers that identified the best ways to help her, and that she learned so much more than how to read throughout her journey.
Read
December 20, 2022Maple has been able to hide her dyslexia from most people...up until her secret comes out and she is forced to repeat fifth grade to catch up. This was a really great look at not only the struggles Maple faces with reading, but also with what happens when your best friends move on to middle school...and you don't. One of her so called friends was just absolutely awful, and I think Maple is a bigger person than I am. Definitely a book I can see a lot of kids liking, Maple is a great character.
February 6, 2024
What a delightful little book this was. My heart actually broke for all poor Maple was going through. As a mom I just wanted to hug her but then kindly and gently shake some sense in her to go tell her parents everything! She was such a sweet thing going through such a hard thing and I hated that she felt she was so alone. This is a tear jerker for sure, and such a great middle grade book. I absolutely loved it.
March 7, 2022
Maple has been hiding the fact that she can't read, until her 5th grade teacher figures it out. Unfortunately by that point there is no alternative but to repeat 5th grade again. This devastates Maple, especially when her two best friends desert her for new 6th grade things. A hard book to read, but an important one. For grades 4 & up.
August 17, 2022
But just because you don't write or think in exactly the same way as everyone else, it doesn't mean your ideas aren't just as valuable.
Maple Mehta-Cohen is being held back for another year of 5th grade. She is mortified when her name is on the list of students who have to go to a special reading group. Still, as we discover throughout the book, the teacher helping the group is one of the best things to happen to Maple. How has Maple gotten all the way to 5th grade without being able to read well on her own? It has taken creativity and quick thinking. Mirroring other students, letting parents read out loud to her, and other strategies have helped her to slip under the radar. Fortunately she is getting some help with her dyslexia so she can be more successful in middle school. Maple is the daughter of a Hindu father and a White mother. Her unique diversity is one she wants to shine a spotlight on when doing a project on a famous person for Social Studies. You might be surprised who she chooses, but her storytelling abilities will give you a hint. This title features a book within a book as we get to read a mystery that Maple is recording on her data recorder. (Another way she makes an end run around her dyslexia.) There are other issues addressed in the book including lying, bullying, and divorce. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Maple and her family. Check it out!
Maple Mehta-Cohen is being held back for another year of 5th grade. She is mortified when her name is on the list of students who have to go to a special reading group. Still, as we discover throughout the book, the teacher helping the group is one of the best things to happen to Maple. How has Maple gotten all the way to 5th grade without being able to read well on her own? It has taken creativity and quick thinking. Mirroring other students, letting parents read out loud to her, and other strategies have helped her to slip under the radar. Fortunately she is getting some help with her dyslexia so she can be more successful in middle school. Maple is the daughter of a Hindu father and a White mother. Her unique diversity is one she wants to shine a spotlight on when doing a project on a famous person for Social Studies. You might be surprised who she chooses, but her storytelling abilities will give you a hint. This title features a book within a book as we get to read a mystery that Maple is recording on her data recorder. (Another way she makes an end run around her dyslexia.) There are other issues addressed in the book including lying, bullying, and divorce. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Maple and her family. Check it out!
June 4, 2022
A sweet YA book about a girl having dyslexia in 6th grade. Definitely adding it to my classroom library.
August 31, 2023
Great YA book that tackles common learning disability..Dyslexia. Students will connect to Maple trying to understand her learning profile and why things are hard for her.
January 4, 2022
I was listening to the audiobook of this and did not finish after listening to a few hours of it. First, Maple's lie just made me extremely uncomfortable because I knew things were eventually going to come crashing down. But what really made me stop is how horrible one of her "friends" was, *vague spoiler ahead* I stopped once this particular "friend" was basically forcing her to read in front of some other girls at a birthday.
If this particular friend redeems herself or the story overall works out well let me know and I will try to finish it!
With such horrible "friends" in the world, it's no wonder Maple would lie.
If this particular friend redeems herself or the story overall works out well let me know and I will try to finish it!
With such horrible "friends" in the world, it's no wonder Maple would lie.
March 24, 2022
Sweet story!
January 9, 2022
I didn't like the idea that a child could be held back in 5th grade. That just seems sloppy on the part of teachers and a better solution could have been reached. Especially that 6th grade shares a building.
But other than that, the characters are likable and the story is unique and interesting.
But other than that, the characters are likable and the story is unique and interesting.
October 1, 2021
The transition from fifth to sixth grade can be quite challenging, but Maple Mehta-Cohen would readily face those challenges rather than being retained and forced to repeat fifth grade again. While her best friends Marigold and Aislinn move on the next grade, Maple's learning disability necessitates individual and small-group tutoring. When her teacher, Ms. Littleton-Chan informs Maple's parents, they are understandably shocked since they've seen their daughter with books all the time. It isn't that she doesn't love words or reading, but her undiagnosed dyslexia makes it hard for her to sort out all the letters. She's developed various coping mechanisms to hide her struggles from everyone around her, including her family, friends, and teachers. As her friends move on without her after she informs them that she won't be in sixth grade this year, she impulsively decides to pretend to be an aide for Ms. Littleton-Chan, someone who will assist the struggling readers in the class. At first some of them buy her story, but she has several close calls in which her secret is almost revealed. But a cruel trick played by Aislinn results in the entire school learning the truth. The author does a fine job in depicting someone with this particular challenge and nails the stigma attached to struggling readers. She also carefully includes passages describing Maple's strengths. She's clearly a talented storyteller since she's constantly recording tales featuring Mira Epstein-Patel, a bicultural sleuth who is her alter ego. Her vocabulary is quite sophisticated, thanks to her father's constant reading of books to her, and her conversations with her parents. Readers will root for a happy ending for Maple although they will also recognize that finding one won't be easy. In the end, though, she realizes that she isn't the only one with problems or secrets. This middle grade novel would be useful for teachers who aren't familiar with dyslexia as well as classmates who may judge others unfairly without understanding why reading doesn't come so easily for them. Maple's voice is authentic, and her desperation to hide her deficiency while failing to recognize her talents in other areas is realistic and described perfectly here.
November 9, 2021
LOVE 💕this new MG book by @mskatemcg
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I loved this coming of age book about a young girl struggling to accept herself and her learning disability. Maple is a gifted storyteller, but her disability makes it difficult for her to truly shine.
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In addition, Maple’s identity as Hindu/Jewish, white/Indian (HinJew / Whindian as she calls it) is explored with great sensitivity. A class assignment to find a historical figure on whom to present proves difficult for Maple; where are the historical figures with her heritage? As her father says, she is a “rare bird” and must find a way to rise above the bullies and be herself. This is a wonderful coming of age read for all students. It would also make a great read aloud!
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Maple loves hearing and telling stories, but reading them herself is a different matter. That’s because reading words on the page is hard for Maple. She has a learning disability, but she’s managed to fake read and hide it until 5th grade. Now she has to repeat the 5th grade, which means she’s separated from her two BFFs. On the first day of school, she tells a new kid that she’s repeating 5th grade as an assistant teacher because she’s so smart. Between lying to her new friends and watching her old friends move on without her (and even bully her in a sad but realistic turn), Maple is feeling pretty lost. Luckily, she has her trusty tape recorder where she records original mystery stories about a young heroine named Mira. But when the tape recorder goes missing, Maple feels more lost and alone than ever. Can she come to terms with repeating 5th grade and accept herself?
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#middleschoollibrarian #middleschoollibrary #library #librarian #futurereadylibs #iteachlibrary #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #librariesofinstagram #librariansofinstagram #librariesfollowlibraries #librarylife #librarianlife #schoollibrarian #middlegrade #middlegradebooks #iteach #librarylove #booksbooksbooks #amreading #bibliophile
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I loved this coming of age book about a young girl struggling to accept herself and her learning disability. Maple is a gifted storyteller, but her disability makes it difficult for her to truly shine.
.
.
.
In addition, Maple’s identity as Hindu/Jewish, white/Indian (HinJew / Whindian as she calls it) is explored with great sensitivity. A class assignment to find a historical figure on whom to present proves difficult for Maple; where are the historical figures with her heritage? As her father says, she is a “rare bird” and must find a way to rise above the bullies and be herself. This is a wonderful coming of age read for all students. It would also make a great read aloud!
.
.
.
Maple loves hearing and telling stories, but reading them herself is a different matter. That’s because reading words on the page is hard for Maple. She has a learning disability, but she’s managed to fake read and hide it until 5th grade. Now she has to repeat the 5th grade, which means she’s separated from her two BFFs. On the first day of school, she tells a new kid that she’s repeating 5th grade as an assistant teacher because she’s so smart. Between lying to her new friends and watching her old friends move on without her (and even bully her in a sad but realistic turn), Maple is feeling pretty lost. Luckily, she has her trusty tape recorder where she records original mystery stories about a young heroine named Mira. But when the tape recorder goes missing, Maple feels more lost and alone than ever. Can she come to terms with repeating 5th grade and accept herself?
.
.
.
#middleschoollibrarian #middleschoollibrary #library #librarian #futurereadylibs #iteachlibrary #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #librariesofinstagram #librariansofinstagram #librariesfollowlibraries #librarylife #librarianlife #schoollibrarian #middlegrade #middlegradebooks #iteach #librarylove #booksbooksbooks #amreading #bibliophile
September 4, 2022
Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen occupies a unique niche in the kidlit world as it centers on a kid who is smart but who must repeat a grade to get help with a previously-hidden learning disability--not topics I've seen many books about, but fairly common in real life. Maple's narration is engaging, even if it sometimes sounds like the voice of someone older (though that contributes to making clear how she's a bright kid with a big vocabulary), and the mix of school, friend, and family situations keeps the plot moving along at a good pace. I sometimes get annoyed by plots concerning kids trying to keep up unnecessary lies, but here McGovern succeeds at showing why Maple felt she had to lie and then couldn't figure out a way out of it, so Maple remains a sympathetic protagonist. And it was quite clever to have Maple's parents have pulled her out of standardized testing--that helps explain why her teachers didn't previously figure out that she struggles with reading.
I wasn't a huge fan of how sections of the story Maple is writing are inserted throughout--they interrupted the flow a bit and I found myself just wanting to get back to the main story.
My hesitation in recommending this book is that Maple shows quite a lot of negative self-talk related to her dyslexia. She thinks that means that she's not smart, even though that's definitely not true. At the end it's implied that she's feeling more confident about herself, but it really could have been made clearer that she's changed her way of thinking, or else have her earlier internalized ableism not be so extreme. I had been thinking how great it was that dyslexic kids would have a new character to relate to--but then I imagined a dyslexic kid encountering some of Maple's internal monologues and finding them upsetting. So I'm not sure if I'd recommend this one or not. There are also a lot of mentions of Harry Potter.
I wasn't a huge fan of how sections of the story Maple is writing are inserted throughout--they interrupted the flow a bit and I found myself just wanting to get back to the main story.
My hesitation in recommending this book is that Maple shows quite a lot of negative self-talk related to her dyslexia. She thinks that means that she's not smart, even though that's definitely not true. At the end it's implied that she's feeling more confident about herself, but it really could have been made clearer that she's changed her way of thinking, or else have her earlier internalized ableism not be so extreme. I had been thinking how great it was that dyslexic kids would have a new character to relate to--but then I imagined a dyslexic kid encountering some of Maple's internal monologues and finding them upsetting. So I'm not sure if I'd recommend this one or not. There are also a lot of mentions of Harry Potter.
November 22, 2021
Maple Mehta-Cohen has tried all the clever tricks to keep her big secret, a secret. She has an impressive vocabulary, loves telling stories into her recorder - especially the adventures of a daring young detective who is half Indian and half Jewish like herself, and she uses pictures to figure out context. But words on the page just don't seem to make sense to her... and her teacher is on to her.
Now, Maple has to repeat fifth grade again, and she is devastated! What will her friends think? Will they forget about her and leave her in the dust? She tells her new classmates she got held back as a special teacher's assistant, but how long with her storytelling skills carry her before she must face the truth - that she has her own strengths and she needs to love herself, including her brain, just the way she is.
This book is super adorable and I really enjoyed Maple as the voice of the main character. She is bright and brilliant, creative, and strong. It's been quite a few years, but I believe Kate McGovern did a wonderful job at capturing what it's like to be a fifth grader.
The family dynamic of the Mehta-Cohen household is nice to see as well. Both of Maple's parents are artists of sorts and she's got a baby brother she is still kind of getting used to. Her parents are both super supportive of who Maple is and what she is interested in - they even got her a tape recorder to tell her stories into!
McGovern tackles some difficult issues: dyslexia, bullying, repeating a grade, and loving oneself. She even gives examples of empathy, respect, and patience as well. McGovern does a fine job at depicting young children with reading challenges and really captures the stigma attached to struggling readers.
This book will appeal to young readers who have faced their own trials with school and friendships, show empathy for peers who may or may not be struggling with a learning disability, and show those who do, that they're not alone.
*Thank you LibraryThing and Candlewick Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
Now, Maple has to repeat fifth grade again, and she is devastated! What will her friends think? Will they forget about her and leave her in the dust? She tells her new classmates she got held back as a special teacher's assistant, but how long with her storytelling skills carry her before she must face the truth - that she has her own strengths and she needs to love herself, including her brain, just the way she is.
This book is super adorable and I really enjoyed Maple as the voice of the main character. She is bright and brilliant, creative, and strong. It's been quite a few years, but I believe Kate McGovern did a wonderful job at capturing what it's like to be a fifth grader.
The family dynamic of the Mehta-Cohen household is nice to see as well. Both of Maple's parents are artists of sorts and she's got a baby brother she is still kind of getting used to. Her parents are both super supportive of who Maple is and what she is interested in - they even got her a tape recorder to tell her stories into!
McGovern tackles some difficult issues: dyslexia, bullying, repeating a grade, and loving oneself. She even gives examples of empathy, respect, and patience as well. McGovern does a fine job at depicting young children with reading challenges and really captures the stigma attached to struggling readers.
This book will appeal to young readers who have faced their own trials with school and friendships, show empathy for peers who may or may not be struggling with a learning disability, and show those who do, that they're not alone.
*Thank you LibraryThing and Candlewick Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
October 17, 2021
If you want to discover how a fifth-grader processes things, you need to read Maple Mehta-Cohen's story. Kate McGovern allows Maple to tell us readers a lot, not only a deep secret of what she cannot do but the wonderful things she can do. We need to pay attention!
Maple's a terrific storyteller, as is her creator, Kate McGovern. And if you know the definition of "story", you'll also find that Maple makes up the stories she should not. In the harshest of times for her, she lies. Maple, half Indian, half Jew, loves dictating her stories into a small recorder, and some parts of them are included in this book for readers to see how good she is. Unfortunately, Maple has kept a secret for a long time; she can't read. Her dear teacher has caught on, finally, to all the clever tricks Maple has used. She smart, after all. But this time, caught, she and her parents have just been told she's being held back. She will repeat fifth grade! She has fooled her parents, too, and perhaps, as the story moves on, she really has fooled herself. Falling into the deep pit of lying, missing her two best friends who are now cool sixth graders, and going to the 'baby' class for those who do need extra help. What could be worse?
I've known a few students like Maple, always clever at hiding that those words on the page cannot be deciphered, make the brain hurt, swim around. You've possibly heard these things about those with learning differences. It's a poignant story that parents and teachers will love along with many students, those who are hiding out in plain sight, and those who wonder about a friend, a classmate, or two.
Thanks to Candlewick Press for this advanced copy.
Maple's a terrific storyteller, as is her creator, Kate McGovern. And if you know the definition of "story", you'll also find that Maple makes up the stories she should not. In the harshest of times for her, she lies. Maple, half Indian, half Jew, loves dictating her stories into a small recorder, and some parts of them are included in this book for readers to see how good she is. Unfortunately, Maple has kept a secret for a long time; she can't read. Her dear teacher has caught on, finally, to all the clever tricks Maple has used. She smart, after all. But this time, caught, she and her parents have just been told she's being held back. She will repeat fifth grade! She has fooled her parents, too, and perhaps, as the story moves on, she really has fooled herself. Falling into the deep pit of lying, missing her two best friends who are now cool sixth graders, and going to the 'baby' class for those who do need extra help. What could be worse?
I've known a few students like Maple, always clever at hiding that those words on the page cannot be deciphered, make the brain hurt, swim around. You've possibly heard these things about those with learning differences. It's a poignant story that parents and teachers will love along with many students, those who are hiding out in plain sight, and those who wonder about a friend, a classmate, or two.
Thanks to Candlewick Press for this advanced copy.
November 14, 2021
Maple, a budding writer, is coming to the end of fifth grade. Her stories, which she dictates into a recorder, are often based on her own life, but, you know, so much better. She and her two best friends, Aislinn (Ash) and Marygold, are really looking forward to sixth grade and being somewhat separated from the “little kids” in K-5. Maple thought her biggest challenge in school was being the only Hin-Jew (half Hindu and half Jewish) in the school, but then she is faced with the worst news she could imagine. She is being held back. Her teacher explains to Maple and her parents that it has become apparent that Maple can’t read. She thought she had hidden her problem well enough to keep sliding by, but her teacher wasn’t fooled. Maple can’t bring herself to tell her friends until the end of summer. She thinks their friendship won’t change, but she is wrong. When school begins, she seems invisible to Ash and Marygold. When Maple is pulled out with three other kids for special reading help, she lies to one of the kids, saying she is the teacher’s assistant. That lie comes back to haunt her when she is found out. But she makes other cringe-worthy decisions that really make things worse.
Kate McGovern must have a terrific memory for what it feels like to be a fifth-grader because the voice is pitch-perfect in this compelling first-person narrated novel. Young people will relate to the problems Maple faces on several fronts and how overwhelming those problems seem. The writing is simply wonderful and the story is engaging for any of any age lucky enough to get their hands on a copy. Don’t miss this terrific book. The publisher supplied me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. This review also appears on my blog https://rosihollinbeck.com/blog/.
Kate McGovern must have a terrific memory for what it feels like to be a fifth-grader because the voice is pitch-perfect in this compelling first-person narrated novel. Young people will relate to the problems Maple faces on several fronts and how overwhelming those problems seem. The writing is simply wonderful and the story is engaging for any of any age lucky enough to get their hands on a copy. Don’t miss this terrific book. The publisher supplied me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. This review also appears on my blog https://rosihollinbeck.com/blog/.
February 12, 2022
Thanks to LibraryThing & Candlewick Press for an advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.
I love middle grade fiction, maybe because it reminds me of the stories I wrote for myself when I was in middle grade. It's a time of innocence, learning, building relationships, and discovery. And all those words describe "Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen" - a heartwarming story of acceptance and friendship.
Maple is being welcomed back to the fifth grade, which she is repeating due to her inability to read. Even with her clever tricks and strategies, she's no longer able to hide her dyslexia. More than anything Maple worries about what her friends will think, and she soon finds out. Although she makes some new fifth grade friends, it's her two BFFs who have moved up to sixth grade who are now either ignoring her or taunting her.
While Maple has reading challenges, she is an expert at storytelling, and dictates stories into her recorder, especially adventures of a young amateur detective who's half Indian and half Jewish, just like Maple. These adventures, which the author skillfully inserts into Maple's narrative, add another dimension to the novel. Maple also tells her new fifth grade friends some stories which are untruths about herself. What will happen when Maple implements a reckless plan to win back her old friends, and her new friends learn she isn't really a special teacher's assistant?
This is a book for middle grade readers, or anyone who enjoys middle grade novels. Maple is a realistic, likeable character who is easy to identify with, and readers who have faced their own trials with school and friendships will savor this satisfying story of challenges and acceptance.
I love middle grade fiction, maybe because it reminds me of the stories I wrote for myself when I was in middle grade. It's a time of innocence, learning, building relationships, and discovery. And all those words describe "Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen" - a heartwarming story of acceptance and friendship.
Maple is being welcomed back to the fifth grade, which she is repeating due to her inability to read. Even with her clever tricks and strategies, she's no longer able to hide her dyslexia. More than anything Maple worries about what her friends will think, and she soon finds out. Although she makes some new fifth grade friends, it's her two BFFs who have moved up to sixth grade who are now either ignoring her or taunting her.
While Maple has reading challenges, she is an expert at storytelling, and dictates stories into her recorder, especially adventures of a young amateur detective who's half Indian and half Jewish, just like Maple. These adventures, which the author skillfully inserts into Maple's narrative, add another dimension to the novel. Maple also tells her new fifth grade friends some stories which are untruths about herself. What will happen when Maple implements a reckless plan to win back her old friends, and her new friends learn she isn't really a special teacher's assistant?
This is a book for middle grade readers, or anyone who enjoys middle grade novels. Maple is a realistic, likeable character who is easy to identify with, and readers who have faced their own trials with school and friendships will savor this satisfying story of challenges and acceptance.
November 15, 2021
Maple Mehta-Cohen is a typical fifth grader…popular, has lots of friends, and a wildly descriptive imagination. But, she’s harboring a secret, one she’s keep from her family, friends, and teachers. She can’t read…or at least, not very well. When her teacher, Mrs. Littleton-Chan actually pays attention and picks up in the clues, Maple’s parents are informed that she shows signs of dyslexia.
And, Mrs. Littleton-Chan’s recommendation is to hold Maple back and repeat fifth grade. That means that all her friends will navigate sixth grade without her. Her parents are shocked, but are supportive, her friends, not so much. So…Maple tells a little lie to her new fifth grade friends that quickly escalates with disastrous results.
Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen tackles some difficult issues, i.e., dyslexia, bullying, and repeating a grade, with empathy, respect, and clarity. This bright young girl who can formulate vividly appealing stories in her mind has difficulty writing them down. She is a storyteller in the making just like a favorite author Dame Agatha Christie.
In the right hands, with the right introduction, this book will appeal to young readers and will supply a healthy dose of empathy for peers who may or may not be struggling with a learning disability.
Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers, Candlewick Press, and Kate McGovern for this ARC.
And, Mrs. Littleton-Chan’s recommendation is to hold Maple back and repeat fifth grade. That means that all her friends will navigate sixth grade without her. Her parents are shocked, but are supportive, her friends, not so much. So…Maple tells a little lie to her new fifth grade friends that quickly escalates with disastrous results.
Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen tackles some difficult issues, i.e., dyslexia, bullying, and repeating a grade, with empathy, respect, and clarity. This bright young girl who can formulate vividly appealing stories in her mind has difficulty writing them down. She is a storyteller in the making just like a favorite author Dame Agatha Christie.
In the right hands, with the right introduction, this book will appeal to young readers and will supply a healthy dose of empathy for peers who may or may not be struggling with a learning disability.
Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers, Candlewick Press, and Kate McGovern for this ARC.
March 24, 2024
When Maple finds out she is being held back in 5th grade due to reading diffuculties, she does not tell her friends. She has had the same best friends for so long, but is certain they will not understand as she has not even been honest with them about her reading issues. When school begins and they sit in the 6th grade area while she is in the 5th grade area at lunch, Maple knows she has lost her friends. She is put in a special reading group and since she is a marvelous story teller (in a recorder she carries around) she spins another tale for them. Though she knows lies always come back around, she cannot help herself as it is hard to be held back and labeled as a non-reader.
There is great characterization here that allows the reader to notice Maple's strengths even when she does not. Adding to the reading issues, Maple is from a family with one asian parent and one white Jewish parent. She refers to herself as a Hin-Jew and is bothered that she knows no one else quite like her. When a school project reinforces her differences from everyone else Maple finds herself tested in ways she could not imagine. Finding out that everyone has problems does not help much, but by the end of this story students who feel different may find connections of their own. This is a great addition for elementary and middle school libraries.
There is great characterization here that allows the reader to notice Maple's strengths even when she does not. Adding to the reading issues, Maple is from a family with one asian parent and one white Jewish parent. She refers to herself as a Hin-Jew and is bothered that she knows no one else quite like her. When a school project reinforces her differences from everyone else Maple finds herself tested in ways she could not imagine. Finding out that everyone has problems does not help much, but by the end of this story students who feel different may find connections of their own. This is a great addition for elementary and middle school libraries.
April 19, 2024
Right from the beginning, I could not put this book down. The protagonist, 11-year-old Maple Mehta-Cohen, has always had two good friends, loving and artistic parents who encourage her to be herself, and a love of books. She loves the stories her father reads to her, the feel of them, and the smell of the pages; the problem is, she can't read them. She's never told anyone, but when her 5th-grade teacher realizes it, she holds Maple back. Maple is devastated: her two best friends are moving on to middle school, while she has to re-enter the same classroom and learn alongside younger kids. To save face, Maple tells the other kids in her reading group that she was only held back in order to assist other kids, since there's a teacher shortage.
Maple is a great character, spunky and imaginative, and she dictates great stories into a handheld tape recorder. She also starts to make friends with the other 5th graders in her class. But she is always aware of feeling dumb, of being frustrated that she can't read stories by herself, and, soon after the school year begins, realizing her two old friends are no longer including her.
You have to love Maple; she never gives up, and though her approaches to some of her problems made me cringe, I still admired how she always took action. The book moved so quickly that I was a bit sad to come to the end.
Maple is a great character, spunky and imaginative, and she dictates great stories into a handheld tape recorder. She also starts to make friends with the other 5th graders in her class. But she is always aware of feeling dumb, of being frustrated that she can't read stories by herself, and, soon after the school year begins, realizing her two old friends are no longer including her.
You have to love Maple; she never gives up, and though her approaches to some of her problems made me cringe, I still admired how she always took action. The book moved so quickly that I was a bit sad to come to the end.
July 17, 2024
Maple Mehta-Cohen has just been held back into fifth grade after her teacher realizes that she struggles to read. Maple is a wordsmith and storyteller that has a large vocabulary and loves books but has adopted various methods of getting by in the past few years and is embarrassed that someone figured out how hard reading is for her. She only confessed her situation to her very best friends right before school began and suddenly they did not know what to do with her. Once school begins, Maple tells the new kid that she is a special helper due to budget cuts and that is why she was held back. Maple struggles in her difficult position and things with her friends come to a head with her friends at the birthday party that she crashed. Through these struggles and the consequences of her choices, Maple gains an idea of her worth and value. I think would be a good book to include in most chapter book collections because of its depiction of dyslexia and the havoc it can cause in someone's life. Changes definitely happen throughout the book so there is no magic wand ending but it does show that things work out. I would recommend it for collections that need materials on dyslexia and learning differences. This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries.
December 5, 2022
When Maple's reading difficulties are finally discovered by her sympathetic 5th grade teacher, she is so far behind that she is made to repeat the grade and work with an intervention specialist. Maple actually has excellent language skills, she makes up elaborate mystery stories on her recorder and has a vocabulary far exceeding her peers, she just can't make the letters make sense when she reads. It hurts her that her peers are moving on to middle school and leaving her "behind" and she doesn't want anyone to think she is stupid, so she makes up an elaborate lie to her new classmates about why she is still in 5th grade. When things start to fall apart, she tries to put them back together again.
This middle grade novel will appeal to readers in 4th-6th grade who like realistic stories about friendships, families and overcoming challenges. Maple's struggle to be who she is will be understood by all readers. The story has humor, grit, and moments that will make your heart sad. The author has experience with reading intervention and uses that to realistically tell Maple's story.
I would highly recommend this for middle school libraries and any public library.
This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries.
This middle grade novel will appeal to readers in 4th-6th grade who like realistic stories about friendships, families and overcoming challenges. Maple's struggle to be who she is will be understood by all readers. The story has humor, grit, and moments that will make your heart sad. The author has experience with reading intervention and uses that to realistically tell Maple's story.
I would highly recommend this for middle school libraries and any public library.
This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries.
June 28, 2023
I liked the fact that Maple was writing a story within a story. Poor Maple is held back in 5th grade while her two best friends head to sixth grade. Maple has reading issues that she has kept hidden until now. She ashamed and thinks her parents, especially her mother is also ashamed of her. She lies about needing help in reading. Her friends move on and things just aren't the same. Maple meets new friends but she isn't honest with them which causes issues. Everything feels wrong this year but a lot of it is Maple's fault...not for being a poor reader....but for acting different, hiding the truth and not confiding her problems to anyone. Maple struggles to get through the year hoping to learn how to read better. She loves books and writing so not being able to read well is very frustrating for her. Add to the fact that her old friends are treating her like she's invisible or worse teasing her in front of everyone. Why are they being so mean? She soon finds out.
November 14, 2021
Maple is a half-Indian - half-Jewish girl who is has an amazing vocabulary, she writes stories but, she is struggling. She is in the fifth grade (again) and trying to keep a secret from her friends. She has difficulty reading, it does not come easy to her - she mixes up the words. Her anxiety increases as she worries what the other kids will think and say about her and, she feels like she is disappointing her family as well.
This was such a well written, realistic story and such an important one as well. I liked that not only is Maple of mixed heritage, the story was also about children with real learning issues like dyslexia. I thought the perfect target age for this story would be 10-11 year old children.
My thanks go to Walker Books US and Candlewick Press for sending these books my way in exchange for my unbiased reviews.
This was such a well written, realistic story and such an important one as well. I liked that not only is Maple of mixed heritage, the story was also about children with real learning issues like dyslexia. I thought the perfect target age for this story would be 10-11 year old children.
My thanks go to Walker Books US and Candlewick Press for sending these books my way in exchange for my unbiased reviews.
January 28, 2022
I received Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen by Kate McGovern for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2022. From dyslexia, to a biracial family, to friendship drama and bullying, this book will be an encouragement to kids with these shared experiences, but also will generate empathy in those who have not faced similar challenges. As young readers witness Maple go from lying about some of her struggles to learning to embrace her identity and being proud of who she is, they will hopefully be inspired to do the same. Though dealing with heavy issues, this book is a light and enjoyable read with great characters who grow throughout the story. Follow @readyourworldmcbd on instagram or facebook for more great diverse book recommendations! #ReadYourWorld
September 9, 2023
I loved the voice of Maple Mehta-Cohen, both in her real life and in her role as an author. (We get some excerpts from her stories throughout the book. How meta, or is that Mehta?)
When she masters reading in English, I want her to learn Hebrew, and I want to be her bat mitzvah tutor. (That was a hole in the narrative; we don’t hear anything about the Cohen side of the family.)
When she’s a little older, I want her to join the Somerville Public Library Mystery Book Club. A little after that and I’ll suggest the club read her first published novel!
I do wonder if it’s realistic that she would be held back a grade instead of receiving reading intervention while she moves on with her class.
When she masters reading in English, I want her to learn Hebrew, and I want to be her bat mitzvah tutor. (That was a hole in the narrative; we don’t hear anything about the Cohen side of the family.)
When she’s a little older, I want her to join the Somerville Public Library Mystery Book Club. A little after that and I’ll suggest the club read her first published novel!
I do wonder if it’s realistic that she would be held back a grade instead of receiving reading intervention while she moves on with her class.
December 23, 2024
Bought it for the library, decided to be a responsible person and preview it. It was delightful to meet Maple Mehta-Cohen, a Hin-Jew whose secret is finally out: she can't read (but has developed some amazing coping strategies). When Maple looks at a page, the words start to slide around, rearrange themselves, and even when she can sound them out, it's hard for her to remember what she just read. It takes until almost the end of 5th grade for an astute teacher to realize that Maple has dyslexia. How Maple continues her friendships with her best friends, when they move on to 6th grade and she stays (back) in 5th, and how she makes new friends, all while dictating her stories, is a great journey to enjoy.
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