Monday, September 16, 2019

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday #MMGM Book Review: Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks


Joe has been going to the same school in New York for a long time, only now that his best friend moved, he'll be all by himself. Of course, his mother will be working in the cafeteria, but Joe isn’t happy about it. His parents tell him they need the money, and that he won’t “even know” his mom is there. Ravi and his family just moved from India, and he’s excited to start school so he can impress his teachers and classmates with how smart he is. Once the boys get to school things don’t go the way either of them expects. Joe’s year is off to a bad start, especially when he finds himself being targeted by the school’s biggest bully. His mom blowing him a kiss doesn’t help. Ravi just knows the good looking Indian boy in his class wants to be his new best friend. He will definitely save Ravi a seat at his lunch table, Ravi can just tell. But, what Ravi can’t figure out is why no one understands him; after all, he is speaking English. When Joe and Ravi end up in the same special education room, Ravi is furious. He does not belong there and when he takes a unique blue M & M from the jar, Joe believes he did it on purpose. Joe and Ravi come from different places, but they have more in common than they realize. Sometimes what brings two people together is something they never saw coming. Where will things stand at the end of the first week of school? You will want to read this realistic fiction book in one sitting to find out!

Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan is a fast read. I really liked the alternating chapters switching between Ravi and Joe’s point of view. It was so interesting to see how often they thought they understood a situation or a person’s motives and how often they weren’t right at all. It made me realize that sometimes we think someone else did something mean or to hurt us and they may not have been meaning to do so. This is why it can be important to talk to others and communicate. Of course, sometimes people pretend to be nice who aren’t, but hopefully we learn to look for signs that someone isn’t being truthful. Seeing school from Ravi’s view made me think about how hard it would be to go to school in another country where traditions and expectations are different.  I really liked both Ravi and Joe and I was upset when they misread each other. Finding out how their problems were solved was one of my favorite parts of the book (no spoilers). I would recommend this book to anyone in third grade and up who likes school stories or realistic fiction. You definitely don’t want to miss this one!

Has anyone else red Save Me a Seat? Or have you read another book by Sarah Weeks or Gita Varadarajan? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!

40 comments:

  1. It sounds excellent - and has a message which applies to all of us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. EC- The message is excellent. Love this book! :) ~L

      Delete
  2. Sounds great, I will definitely read this one! Have a great week, hugs, Valerie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Valerie- I hope you enjoy it. It is a great read and super fast too. :) ~L

      Delete
  3. We moved around a lot when I was a kid, so I know the feeling of a new school and no friends.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alex- Moving can definitely be tough on kids. This was a book that really opens other kid's eyes to how they may feel. :) ~L

      Delete
  4. Sounds like a great story line! I too like stories when it is told from several people's perspectives.

    betty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Betty- I liked the two point of views a lot. The book went really fast and it was so interesting to see what each main character was thinking. :) ~L

      Delete
  5. I hadn't heard of this. It sounds like a great read that a lot of kids would relate to these days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Natalie- Glad to introduce you to it. It is an awesome story! :) ~L

      Delete
  6. Loved this one when I read it earlier this year. I thought the multiple viewpoints was the perfect way to convey the story. Thanks for keeping it out there on MMGM.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Greg- Thanks so much for hosting MMGM. I am glad to hear you enjoyed this one too. :) ~L

      Delete
  7. I really loved this book when I read it and I felt like I learned some things about Ravi's culture (especially the food, which sounds delicious). Thanks for sharing it with more readers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Randomly Reading- I agree. I learned a lot too and I especially learned about how school in the U.S. is different from school in India. :) ~L

      Delete
  8. I haven't read it but I did read "Hey, you're in my spot"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Powdered Toast Man- I think there are a lot of those out there. ;) ~L

      Delete
  9. I can remember my school friend announcing that his mother was to be our new school dinner nanny but it was OK because she'd told him he wouldn't even know she was there.

    One of the things I love about books written for this age group is how they can conjure up long forgotten memories from our own childhoods.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Felicity- Isn't that amazing! I love how books stir our memories too. I hope your friend's mom did a better job than Joe's did at seeming invisible. :) ~L

      Delete
  10. I haven't read it but it sounds great.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I think I will have to hunt down a copy. You make it sound very intriguing. Thanks for the review.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rosi- I think you will love this book. Enjoy! :) ~L

      Delete
  12. Another one I want to read. So much about the story applies to students today. Sounds like a good one. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Beverly- I know this book will be a hit with you. The audio is also excellent. :) ~L

      Delete
  13. Very Nice Information Thank you keep it up Regard HDVOGO

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sounds like an interesting read! I was always the new kid at school in a new country (we moved 7 times), so this is probably something I can relate too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kate- Wow! That is a lot of moves. I bet you would be able to relate to Ravi for sure. Moving and going to school in another country can have its challenges. :) ~L

      Delete
  15. Sounds like a good one to show that communication is key.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sounds really interesting! I might need to check this one out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Armchair Squid- It's a great and quick read. :) ~L

      Delete
  17. Ohh, sounds a good one. Thanks for spotlighting this book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nasreen- You are welcome! It's a fantastic read. :) ~L

      Delete
  18. Replies
    1. New Release Books- I highly recommend it! :) ~L

      Delete
  19. Sounds like a very good book!!!! Big Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Magic Love Crow- I really enjoyed it. :) ~L

      Delete

Thank you for stopping by and commenting. We love to hear your thoughts! We had to turn on comment moderation due to a high volume of spam. Fairday's Blog is no longer accepting awards. We appreciate all the nominations that we have received and are honored to have been mentioned! Happy Reading!

Twitter Bird Gadget Twitter Bird Gadget