{"id":85864,"date":"2025-02-14T07:51:56","date_gmt":"2025-02-14T11:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readingmiddlegrade.com\/?p=85864"},"modified":"2025-05-31T06:51:34","modified_gmt":"2025-05-31T10:51:34","slug":"take-it-from-the-top-claire-swinarski-book-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readingmiddlegrade.com\/take-it-from-the-top-claire-swinarski-book-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Review | Take It from the Top"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Take It from the Top<\/h2><\/div>
By Claire Swinarski<\/div><\/div>
Age <\/span>10+<\/span><\/div>\n
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Swinarski brings summer camp to life in this sun-drenched story about friendship and the tiny jealousies that threaten it.<\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

Realistic<\/a><\/div><\/div>
256<\/span> pages <\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Summary: Take It from the Top<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Eowyn’s family is well-to-do and well-known in the musical theater industry, while Jules is from a poor family and literally goes to school in an overflow trailer. Eowyn’s mom died when she was eight,t and her doctor dad has raised her and her Broadway-star older brother since then. Eowyn’s dad is not as present in her life due to his focus on her brother and on his job. In contrast, Jules’ dad is out of commission with a bad back, and her mom works at a hair salon but never misses a show (Eowyn’s dad hasn’t been to a show since the first summer). We go back in time with alternating past and present chapters, following the girls through the last five summers and the present one to see how their relationship fell apart and how their long-awaited roles as leads in Wicked<\/em> may repair it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2b50\ufe0f June 2025 Patreon Book Club Pick<\/strong>. READ WITH US<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Good<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I ADORED this story of two friends making their way back after a massive falling out. The alternating narrators and timelines<\/strong> make this novel an ambitious feat that the author executes to a tee. It’s also one of the elements of this story that makes it more suited for an older middle-grade audience<\/strong>. We learn about both girls slowly, and it soon becomes glaring at what point their friendship falls off the rails. This is a strong book club pick <\/strong>(we’re reading it in Patreon this summer<\/a> — come join us!) because it’s hard to blame one girl entirely for the issues, and readers will empathize with a different girl, depending on their biases and backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re a sucker for setting in a story, this book is perfect for you! It’s set in a theater summer camp<\/strong> where the girls have been visiting for the last five years. We see their experiences at camp through the years, including a performance of The Sound of Music<\/em>, and how they’ve changed over time. We’re also there with them in the present — their sixth year at camp — as they navigate a turbulent time in their friendship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love the focus on female friendships in this book and the way things like wealth, class, money, and privilege can affect friendship, even among tweens and teens. We also zoom in on sibling relationships and the grief of losing a parent, which Eowyn grapples with. Finally, there’s a teeny romance subplot as one of the girls finds a sweet friendship with a boy at camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

READ WITH YOUR BOOK CLUB<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Take It from the Top (Book Club Kit)<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t$<\/span>10<\/bdi><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Reading\u00a0Take It from the Top<\/a><\/em> by Claire Swinarski with your kids\u2019 book club? Use my book club kit as a handy discussion guide with five engaging activities for kids, including writing, drawing, coloring, and crafting options. This guide also includes links to supporting video content to keep your book club enjoyable\u00a0for young readers ages 9-12<\/strong>. You\u2019ll receive a free bookmark with your purchase.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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