How to Avoid Extinction by Paul AcamporaMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I appreciate middle grade books that take some chances. This book, however, maybe took a few too many wrong turns along the way.
The story is mostly a road trip tale, where Leo, a caretaker for his afflicted grandmother, has to go with her on her latest fling many states away. He gets on board with his cousin and they effectively drive cross country with a dog and figure out exactly what Gram needs and keep her safe along the way.
It's a strange read in some regards, but I had some personal issues with the fact that the grandmother clearly has dementia or Alzheimer's and it's played less for the conflict and more for laughs. The story itself isn't the most realistic thing, but we know that going in, and while this adult reader was ultimately unhappy with the payoffs, I'm not sure kids will notice enough compared to a lot of the other things the story has going for it.
It didn't work for me, but it might work for other kids. Worth keeping on your radar, but there are a lot of better options available.
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