When I Hit The Road

With the summer fast approaching I'm still holding out hope that my library's children's summer reading program will happen - either in the branches (fingers and toes crossed) or online due to Covid-19. In order to get ready for all those eager young readers, I've decided to spend some of my quarantine time reading junior fiction to provide my young readers lots of suggestions!

When I Hit The Road is a Middle Grade story that's a cute and quick read. It focuses on Samantha, a tween who's not eager to spend her summer vacation with her grandmother at her retirement community in Florida. But her Grandma surprises her with last minute road trip so she can compete in a senior's karaoke competition. To make matters worse for Sam, Grandma's friend Mimi and Mimi's grandson, Brandon come along for the ride. Seeing how her summer has taken another downward turn, Sam decides to write letters to her future self to chronicle the trip and it's through these letters that the story is told.

This is a sweet story that shows some of the bumps and bruises multigenerational families face. I liked the quirkiness of the older women, but Brandon's character could have had more oomph. The plot touches on family issues but the tone remains fairly light with some mildly humorous situations added in.

When I Hit The Road is a cute story with a nice message that showcases the importance of family. Look for it May 5th!

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Nancy J Cavanaugh

Genre: Middle School

Type: eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Reads

First Published: May 5, 2020

Opening Line: As soon as Mom came up with Operation Sunny Sandy Shores, I knew I had no choice but to write these Dear Me letters.

Book Description from GoodReads: From the author of the award-winning This Journal Belongs to Ratchet comes a new kind of journal by a girl on a madcap road trip, featuring a karaoke-loving grandma, a cute boy, and a wild summer of memories that will last a lifetime.

Samantha is not exactly excited to spend what was supposed to be an awesome summer vacation with her grandma all the way in Florida. Or to be testing out her mom's "Dear Me" Journals--writing to her future self just feels weird. But it turns out Gram has some not-so-boring plans up her sleeve...

Gram and her friend Mimi are going to audition for the Seniors Have Got Talent Karaoke Contest!

A road trip in Gram's new Mustang turns into a series of hilarious mishaps that flip Samantha's summer on its head. And to make things more awkward, Brandon, Mimi's totally handsome grandson, is also along for the ride.

It looks like those journals just might be worth keeping after all. Because this summer will be one Samantha will never want to forget.