The Puttermans Are in the House by Jacquetta Nammar Feldman
ISBN: 0063034433
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Twins Sammy and Matty have always done everything together but when Matty walks away during their baseball game, Sammy realizes she no longer has the same telepathic link to her brother she has always had. After Hurricane Harvey floods their neighborhood and they are forced to kayak out with their dog and parents, they move in with their Aunt and Uncle – now the Puttermans total 9 (including Bubbe and Papa) plus their neighbor and her cat. Will all the Puttermans be able to live together and possibly reconnect under one roof? Will anyone pay attention to cousin Becky’s bat mitzvah when their hometown Houston Astros are on the verge of winning the World Series? This is a great coming-of-age story, complete with the big feeling of adolescence and a feline social media star. This book touches on many topics – climate change, the lack of out gay baseball players, the importance of staying connected to family, contemporary Jewish life, and one character even mentions wanting to vacation in Maine. A book perfect for middle grade readers.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham