MG Book Review: Small Medium at Large by Joanne Jevy

Hardcover
208 pages
Published: July 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Author: Joanne Levy

After she’s hit by lightning at a wedding, twelve-year-old Lilah Bloom develops a new talent: she can hear dead people. Among them, there’s her overopinionated Bubby Dora; a prissy fashion designer; and an approval-seeking clown who livens up a séance. With Bubby Dora leading the way, these and other sweetly imperfect ghosts haunt Lilah through seventh grade, and help her face her one big fear: talking to—and possibly going to the seventh-grade dance with—her crush, Andrew Finkel.








This book is absolutely adorable. I have no idea why it's not being read more often, and I plan to recommend it to all of my friends who have middle graders.

SMaL is a sweet, hilarious book about a girl that can hear dead people. It deals with some pretty big issues, like divorce and the loss of a parent/grandparent, but it stays true to the age group it's written for. Ms. Levy handles the subjects wonderfully and truthfully.

Speaking of Ms. Levy, I've had the pleasure of meeting her in person a few times, and, if I'm remembering correctly, she'd mentioned to me that this she'd actually wanted to write this book geared toward a YA audience. (Please correct--and forgive me!--if I'm wrong, Joanne!)
I, for one, am glad that it was changed from YA to MG. There are not enough brilliant MG books written these days.
SMaL is now one of them!

My youngest daughter just turned 6, and I plan to hand this book to her as soon as I feel she's the right age for it. This is definitely going to be one of her first chapter books. That's how much I adored Small Medium at Large. (And can I just say how freaking great the title is?!)

Thank you, Joanne, for writing such a brilliantly wonderful book! I'm sorry it took me so long to get around to reading it!