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Drive-Thru Miracle
Eleven-year-old Mae Moore is having a horrible birthday week. Her sister, Shelby, had another seizure on account of her cerebral palsy. The school bully won’t leave Mae alone. The adults in her life are having money troubles. And then there’s her secret—the terrible wish Mae made two years ago—that she can’t seem to shake. Mae needs a miracle, or maybe multiple. But why would God bother to listen to her prayers? Especially when it seems He hasn't listened in the past? Still, when Mae discovers that one of her closest friends also needs divine intervention, Mae just might step into that miraculous life she’s been longing for after all. With plenty of adventure and humor to keep readers turning the page, Drive-Thru Miracle is a contemporary middle grade novel that confronts the honest—and sometimes difficult—truths about life with spunk and sincerity. Not shying away from hard topics like disability, bullying, and poverty, Author Dana Edwards weaves Mae’s story with empathy and hope, showing readers that the God of miracles is still working in this world, even if we can’t see it.
224 pages, Paperback
First published April 12, 2022
44 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 12, 2023
4.5 stars
Feisty tween Mae Moore in Drive-Thru Miracle grew on me as quickly as Ramona Quimby and Amber Brown did in their respective books. The author wove a ‘just right’ blend of sassy, sweet, and strong in an 11-year-old bundle of emotions when she created Mae, and in fact she created a whole town full of vivid characters that instantly wrap around your heart. Set on the banks of the ‘Hooch’ (otherwise known as the Chattahoochee River), Jessup is the quintessential Georgia small town with sugared accents, quirky personalities (including Beecher from Villa Rica who, if a real person, would live just west of my own Georgia town), humid heat … and careworn lives to match.
Drive-Thru Miracle addresses poverty, disappointment, job loss, disability, bullying, and unanswered prayers honestly and age-appropriately. Things that every last one of us faces in life at some point, things that – if we’re being honest – kids are exposed to by upper elementary school these days, if not sooner. And it’s imperative that Christian authors are addressing these topics, too, because other worldviews are certainly covering them in the middle grade books already available to our kiddos. I loved the acknowledgement that prayers don’t always get answered the way you want them to – and sometimes that’s a good thing! – but that doesn’t mean God isn’t listening or that He doesn’t care. Instead, this novel reminds kids and adults alike that God is good & is always working for our good, whether we can see it right away or not. And it’s not done in a preachy or in-your-face manner, rather as just a natural part of the characters living their lives.
Bottom Line: Drive-Thru Miracle is a delightful read that upper elementary and middle grade kiddos will enjoy from beginning to end. The characters are layered and relatable, and a healthy dose of humor helps keep the tone lighthearted even while dealing with some heavy topics. I fell in love with Mae, Jimmy Mac, Shelby, Beecher, and even Bubba as well as the adults of small town Jessup, Georgia – and Jessup itself with the strong sense of place the author gives readers. A middle grade read that appeals to people of faith, certainly, but also to people with a different worldview who just want to see characters living life with authenticity & grace. Perfect for fans of the Tree Street Kids series, Ramona Quimby, or Amber Brown!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
Feisty tween Mae Moore in Drive-Thru Miracle grew on me as quickly as Ramona Quimby and Amber Brown did in their respective books. The author wove a ‘just right’ blend of sassy, sweet, and strong in an 11-year-old bundle of emotions when she created Mae, and in fact she created a whole town full of vivid characters that instantly wrap around your heart. Set on the banks of the ‘Hooch’ (otherwise known as the Chattahoochee River), Jessup is the quintessential Georgia small town with sugared accents, quirky personalities (including Beecher from Villa Rica who, if a real person, would live just west of my own Georgia town), humid heat … and careworn lives to match.
Drive-Thru Miracle addresses poverty, disappointment, job loss, disability, bullying, and unanswered prayers honestly and age-appropriately. Things that every last one of us faces in life at some point, things that – if we’re being honest – kids are exposed to by upper elementary school these days, if not sooner. And it’s imperative that Christian authors are addressing these topics, too, because other worldviews are certainly covering them in the middle grade books already available to our kiddos. I loved the acknowledgement that prayers don’t always get answered the way you want them to – and sometimes that’s a good thing! – but that doesn’t mean God isn’t listening or that He doesn’t care. Instead, this novel reminds kids and adults alike that God is good & is always working for our good, whether we can see it right away or not. And it’s not done in a preachy or in-your-face manner, rather as just a natural part of the characters living their lives.
Bottom Line: Drive-Thru Miracle is a delightful read that upper elementary and middle grade kiddos will enjoy from beginning to end. The characters are layered and relatable, and a healthy dose of humor helps keep the tone lighthearted even while dealing with some heavy topics. I fell in love with Mae, Jimmy Mac, Shelby, Beecher, and even Bubba as well as the adults of small town Jessup, Georgia – and Jessup itself with the strong sense of place the author gives readers. A middle grade read that appeals to people of faith, certainly, but also to people with a different worldview who just want to see characters living life with authenticity & grace. Perfect for fans of the Tree Street Kids series, Ramona Quimby, or Amber Brown!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
June 30, 2022
As a former Children's Librarian, I have read a lot of books for kids and this one is a winner. It's set in a small town with wonderfully quirky characters, but revolves around Mae and her sister Shelby who has cerebral palsy, her parents, her best friend Jimmy Mac, and MIss Fannie, the bakery lady at the local "Piggly Wiggly." Each character is nuanced and nothing seems forced. This book is clean, both in content and language and would make a great read aloud. It's also a story about a much neglected subject in the publishing world today--God, faith, prayer and religion, but not in a preaching way...but in a hopeful, maybe there's something bigger than "us" out there way. Kids desperately need this perspective...we all do. I loved reading about this town, and these people and their struggles and how they come together, and developed faith. It's well worth your time
June 30, 2022
I know that this book was written for children, but even as an adult, I couldn't put it down! The messages in the story confirmed what I know to be true and are wonderful encouragement for all readers - young and old!
July 6, 2022
This wonderful middle-grade novel by Dana Edwards is a great read for any season but it's a must for the summer! Can't wait to either have a read-aloud with my middle grader or loan her my copy and chat about all this.
Loved soooo much about this book but here are the highlights:
Got a total 'To Kill A Mockingbird' Vibe from this book. Mae Moore and Scout would have an epic summer hanging out together!
Strong sense of place - you are transported to the summertime South. You can feel the humidity and the heat rising off the pavement. Add ice cream man and stir
I'm so impressed with these complex and likable side characters. They take this journey with Mae as she wrestles with 'real stuff' -- bullying, disability, poverty -- and together they're figuring stuff out.
Lots of page-turning tension in the final chapters of the book as Mae, her friends and enemy's-turned-friends join together in a competition.
Everyone gets a happy ending---Mae and all her side characters. Sooo satisfying---and the character arcs were so deftly crafted throughout the story that I "bought" every single one!
I'm not a Christian and yet I REALLY enjoyed the glimpse into a family and community joined together in their faith. Spending time with people (fictional though they are) that embrace kindness, integrity, the giving of grace, and the keeping of hope is like the equivalent of a rock on a porch swing with a glass of lemonade in your hand.
Loved soooo much about this book but here are the highlights:
Got a total 'To Kill A Mockingbird' Vibe from this book. Mae Moore and Scout would have an epic summer hanging out together!
Strong sense of place - you are transported to the summertime South. You can feel the humidity and the heat rising off the pavement. Add ice cream man and stir
I'm so impressed with these complex and likable side characters. They take this journey with Mae as she wrestles with 'real stuff' -- bullying, disability, poverty -- and together they're figuring stuff out.
Lots of page-turning tension in the final chapters of the book as Mae, her friends and enemy's-turned-friends join together in a competition.
Everyone gets a happy ending---Mae and all her side characters. Sooo satisfying---and the character arcs were so deftly crafted throughout the story that I "bought" every single one!
I'm not a Christian and yet I REALLY enjoyed the glimpse into a family and community joined together in their faith. Spending time with people (fictional though they are) that embrace kindness, integrity, the giving of grace, and the keeping of hope is like the equivalent of a rock on a porch swing with a glass of lemonade in your hand.
August 31, 2022
Love the cover. Love the title. Big marketing plus in today's highly competitive book market.
This is the story of 11-year-old Mae, a girl living in a rural Georgia town on the Chattahoochee River. I love the southern vibe of this book. And even though the setting is current, you'd only know it from the mention of cell phones. Everything about this story points back to a time when kids were independent, riding their bikes around town all summer then taking a dip in the local swimming hole to cool off from the oppressive July heat. No parent in sight. It's the kind of place where everyone knows one another and rallies around a small town high schooler who makes it to the big leagues.
Mae is a no nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is kind of girl. Her biggest challenge is her older sister, Shelby, who has cerebral palsy. She can't walk, can't speak, can barely feed herself, and is prone to seizures. Her best friend is a small framed, non athletic boy named Jimmy Mac. Her nemesis is Bubba, who she isn't afraid to exchange jabs with. Her mom is a cashier at the local Piggly Wiggly supermarket (real supermarket in the south) where Miss Fannie bakes the best chocolate chip cookies in town.
There's basically three things going on in Mae's world during this particular summer. One, she spies on the Thursday night drive-thru prayer stop where a pastor sits outside in a chair and prays with people who walk up. Two, she goes out of her way to help Miss Fannie take her baking talent to the next level. Three, she works hard to be a daughter who honors her parents and loves her sister despite her inconvenient disability.
Edwards melds these plot lines together seamlessly. It's three-dimensional, as it happens to go in real life. I love all the little details. The trailer park. The small town hero who screws up. The intersecting of lives through tragedy. As for the drive-thru prayer session, I love the messages. Have faith, hope and love, but the greatest is love. God works things in his time. You may think God did not answer your prayer, but maybe that's because he's doing things a different way. This is all done in a subtle, just-give-it-some-thought kind of way. It melds into the story. Not a main point, just one more part of an ordinary girl's summer.
This is the story of 11-year-old Mae, a girl living in a rural Georgia town on the Chattahoochee River. I love the southern vibe of this book. And even though the setting is current, you'd only know it from the mention of cell phones. Everything about this story points back to a time when kids were independent, riding their bikes around town all summer then taking a dip in the local swimming hole to cool off from the oppressive July heat. No parent in sight. It's the kind of place where everyone knows one another and rallies around a small town high schooler who makes it to the big leagues.
Mae is a no nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is kind of girl. Her biggest challenge is her older sister, Shelby, who has cerebral palsy. She can't walk, can't speak, can barely feed herself, and is prone to seizures. Her best friend is a small framed, non athletic boy named Jimmy Mac. Her nemesis is Bubba, who she isn't afraid to exchange jabs with. Her mom is a cashier at the local Piggly Wiggly supermarket (real supermarket in the south) where Miss Fannie bakes the best chocolate chip cookies in town.
There's basically three things going on in Mae's world during this particular summer. One, she spies on the Thursday night drive-thru prayer stop where a pastor sits outside in a chair and prays with people who walk up. Two, she goes out of her way to help Miss Fannie take her baking talent to the next level. Three, she works hard to be a daughter who honors her parents and loves her sister despite her inconvenient disability.
Edwards melds these plot lines together seamlessly. It's three-dimensional, as it happens to go in real life. I love all the little details. The trailer park. The small town hero who screws up. The intersecting of lives through tragedy. As for the drive-thru prayer session, I love the messages. Have faith, hope and love, but the greatest is love. God works things in his time. You may think God did not answer your prayer, but maybe that's because he's doing things a different way. This is all done in a subtle, just-give-it-some-thought kind of way. It melds into the story. Not a main point, just one more part of an ordinary girl's summer.
October 13, 2022
Excellent realistic fiction book with a thread of faith related content. I am a media specialist at a private Christian school and my 4th/5th graders read this title for our competition book club team. We were also blessed to have the author come and do a book talk with our students. Dr. Dana Edwards is an excellent writer and we can't wait to read more from her in the future.
August 14, 2023
This book was so cute. The premise was very interesting and it kept me hooked the whole time. Mae is such a spunky little girl but she has a heart of gold and wants to help people in her community.
July 25, 2023
Drive-Thru Miracle is contemporary middle-grade story about an eleven-year-old girl named Mae who has a sister with cerebral palsy. Mae faces changes and challenges at home and within her community that test her emotionally and spiritually.
In the beginning of the story, Meg is struggling with anger, forgiveness, and faith. She clashes with peers and questions the power of prayer, but through the efforts of trying to help those she loves and being confronted with an emergency, she learns God doesn’t always answer prayers the way we expect, and there’s more to others than she sees.
While the story starts slow, it finishes strong. The wonderfully quirky characters and heartwarming moments were engaging, and beautifully balanced the serious topics. Drive-Thru Miracle showcases the power of prayer, grace, and community, and would make a great addition to any classroom or home library.
In the beginning of the story, Meg is struggling with anger, forgiveness, and faith. She clashes with peers and questions the power of prayer, but through the efforts of trying to help those she loves and being confronted with an emergency, she learns God doesn’t always answer prayers the way we expect, and there’s more to others than she sees.
While the story starts slow, it finishes strong. The wonderfully quirky characters and heartwarming moments were engaging, and beautifully balanced the serious topics. Drive-Thru Miracle showcases the power of prayer, grace, and community, and would make a great addition to any classroom or home library.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews