It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with a review of Matt Sprouts and the Day Nora Ate the Sun by Matt Eicheldinger

Matt Sprouts and the Day Nora Ate the Sun by Matt Eicheldinger  

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Format:   E-ARC
Number of pages:  336
Source:  Publisher 
Publishing: September 3rd, 2024

Opening Line: "Mom always says everyone could learn a thing or two if they would just think of each other's backpacks more often."

It's the end of sixth grade and Matt's excited for summer break.  That is until his dad announces his big plans for Matt to do some hard, honest work that will help him "build character."  He's even chosen the perfect job for him, mowing lawns at his office from 5 am until 10 am.  Realizing he's cornered, Matt has no other option but to agree.  However, on his first day at the job site, he accidentally damages an expensive piece of machinery and injures Jason, one of his dad's best employees.  Surprisingly, Jason assumes responsibility for the mishap, leaving Matt anxious about what he might owe him in return.  Although Matt did try to take responsibility for his actions.

Matt then finds a new job helping out his neighbor, Farmer Jed, by taking care of his goat, Nora.  Matt's duties will include ensuring Nora has sufficient food and water.  Farmer Jed also expects Matt to talk to Nora daily, stating she's a good listener and quite special.  Initially, Matt thinks that managing one goat is a pretty simple task; however, he quickly learns it's quite challenging. Nora, appears to have her own agenda, frequently escaping her pen and causing various problems. With a little help from his girlfriend Grace, his younger brother Elliot and best friend Eric, hopefully they can manage to get Nora under control.

This is the second book in the Matt Sprouts series, and I had no difficulty reading it out of order.  Matt's portrayal of Nora is quite amusing, from her protruding eyes to the way one of her horn's points in the wrong direction.  Even how she shows up behind him lurking with a creepy and somewhat scheming/conniving presence, is quite funny.  Nora definitely possesses a will of her own and seems to want Matt to discover exactly what it is she wants.   The mystery of how she escapes her pen each day is intriguing, as is all the traps that Matt and his friends set up in hopes of catching the person who might be setting her free.  At least that's what they think is happening, but no one can explain how Nora gets up on the roof.  

I really liked the addition of B.J., a boy Matt meets while searching in the forest for Nora.  B.J. has exceptional survival skills, especially in identifying which mushrooms are edible.  He's a somewhat shy kid who seems eager to make a new friend.  However, Matt remains skeptical about trusting him, which explains the traps.  Matt's summer gets further busy when his soccer team begins condition training and Grace enlists his help for her Science Fair project.  All while Nora keeps putting on these disappearing acts. 

This is quite the comical read.  I can see kids who have ever worked around or are interested in farm animals relating to how challenging they can be to care for.  Kids can also relate to that feeling of how even the best laid plans can change, how it's important to adapt.  Overall, I loved the theme of understanding what people carry in their backpack and that everyone has something we don't know about that they're carrying.  It's also a great reminder about the hazards of making assumptions, and how they can lead to making huge mistakes.     *A huge thank you to Andrew's McMeel Publishing for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

**I hope you'll check out all the other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge's blog HERE   **