What I Carry by Jennifer Longo
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on January 21, 2020
ISBN: 0553537717
Pages: 336
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Having spent her entire life moving from one foster home to another, Muir has learned to pack light and carry only essentials. Now, months from aging out of the foster system, she finds herself in one last foster home on an island off the coast of Washington. What she doesn’t expect is to actually like the place and the people. She doesn’t expect to want to stay.

This book has so many things going for it — family, love, nature, friendship, trust in oneself and in others, and so much more. Throughout the book, Muir describes the few “extra” things she carries and what significance they have in her life. Each piece brings some memory, emotion, or life lesson with it. This is a heart warming story with a little romance thrown in. Recommended for students 8th grade and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME