Review | The Meaning of Maggie

Summary: The Meaning of Maggie

Maggie is a precocious 11-year-old who loves school and wants to be a US president when she grows up. Maggie knows that her dad’s legs don’t work like they used to, and sometimes his other limbs “fall asleep,” too. But she doesn’t yet know that he has multiple sclerosis—a degenerative and eventually terminal illness. In this slice-of-life novel, we follow Maggie through a turbulent season of life for her family, one through which her parents and sisters shield her incredibly well from her dad’s disease and its progression until they can’t anymore.

The Good

I can’t articulate how wonderful this book is, but I will say it is BEST listened to because the narrator is exceptional, and the whole production feels like a cozy movie in your ears. Maggie is super smart and perhaps not crazy about engaging in social interaction besides with the characters in her books, so she comes off a little sassy at first, but she’s also insanely funny, and her observations of the world around her are at once astute, endearing, and rib-tickling. 

This story is set in the 1980s, which I thought was an interesting choice because there aren’t too many specific historical elements mentioned except maybe various presidents around that time. Still, the setting allows readers to view Maggie’s actions and her sisters’ lives through the lens of the times.

I enjoyed the interactions between Maggie and her parents and between her and her siblings, who will undoubtedly have different memories of this time period in their lives because while Maggie is 11, the other two girls, Layla and Tiffany, are teenagers who sometimes have to watch over their dad. The Mayfield family feels relatable, like neighbors you might know. Finally, this is a great example of a sad but hopeful book–one that will make readers laugh, even as they tear up a little.

Content Notes

Here are some specifics to know about the content.

Content Warnings

• Death: None on page
• Alcohol/substance abuse: None, but Maggie’s dad jokingly requests “medical marijuana” during a hospital visit
• Violence: None
• Sexual content: Mentions of Maggie’s sisters kissing their boyfriends

Diversity

• Ethnic: Maggie and her family cued white
• Sexual orientation: None

Recommended for ages: 10+

Good for Kids Who Like:

• The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemainhart
• Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
• Funny, quirky protagonists who seem wiser than their years
• Family stories
• Ten Thousand Tries by Amy Makechnie

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Publisher Details

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