So happy the cat was okay. This is kind of Kate DiCamillo book I love.

I have always been a fan of Kate DiCamillo's books and she doesn't fail fans with this new book. This rich, yet sparse middle grade novel about three girls finding friendship and acceptance during a very tough time in their lives is quietly inspiring and features girls who are eccentric and unique who find a common bond in their loss of parental figures and come together and see each other through a difficult time. A wonderful homage to the power of friendship. Way to go, Ms. DiCamillo!

In the 1950s a young girl's father runs away with a woman and she tries to capture his attention by winning a beauty pageant, Little Miss Central Florida Tire. When she goes to a baton twirling class to prep for the talent portion of the pageant, she makes two very important friends. Thank you, Kate DiCamillo. It wasn't Winn-Dixie but it made me feel more hopeful on a sad day.

Another amazing middle grade novel from Kate DiCamillo. I loved everything about this book!

Beautifully written tale of the power of friendship. Taking baton lessons was part of ten-year-old Raymie's plan to get her father's attention. But what happens to Raymie because of those baton lessons, is so much better! She gains two forever friends and learns what true friendship is all about. For readers who liked Because of Winn-Dixie, Turtle in Paradise, and Moon Over Manifest.

Louisiana Elefante is one of my favorite characters of all time!

This story was fantastic! Kate DiCamillo does a great job of with the creation of the "Three Rancheros" Raymie Clarke, Beverly Tapinski, and Louisiana Elafante. These three charmers meet in a baton twirling class, instructed by the award winning Ida Nee who is so serious about her batons she calls the police when one goes missing. Each 10 year old girl is taking the baton twirling class in an attempt to win the "Little Miss Central Florida Tire" contest. Raymie hopes winning will bring her father back to their family, Beverly is being forced into it by her troubled mother, and Louisiana wants the prize money to buy lots of tuna fish and rescue her cat Archie which she had to give up to "The Very Friendly Animal Center" after her grandmother couldn't afford to feed him anymore.

You won't soon forget these sweet and tender souls or stop laughing at their wacky realities. "Phhhtttt".

I listened to this as an audiobook, and I'm so thrilled that I did. I've been a longtime fan of Kate DiCamillo, but it's been years since I read a middle-grade book. I have to admit that the cover is what initially caught my attention. It's beautifully minimal, with a young girl standing in the water holding a baton.

This book made me feel things. It was very sad but very beautiful. Jenna Lamia did an incredible job giving distinctive voices to each of the characters. She made me fall in love with Louisiana Elefante, who might be one of my favorite characters out of all the books I've read this year.

This is the story of a trio of girls who form an unlikely but incredible friendship. Each girl plans to compete in a beauty pageant for their own reasons. They meet at a baton-twirling class, and the story goes on from there.

Read my review at Bookish Adventures.

I would love to read this aloud to kids someday. It was funny and sad and just great.

I love Kate DiCamillo and this book did not disappoint. A lot of people and a lot of children can relate to Raymie. Raymie wants to impress her absent father by entering a competition because she wants to please him and convince her father to come back to her and her mother. This book touches on life, death and human relationships. Making friends is hard and awkward and this book beautifully describes the complexity of human relationships. There are loud people, shy people, know it alls, weird people but somehow these different types of personalities can create unexpected bonds.