It's Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday with a review of The Worry Knot by Mary Bleckwehl

 

The Worry Knot by Mary Bleckwehl
Publisher:  Immortal Works Press
Format:  E-book
Number of pages:  256
Published:   January 18th, 2022
Source:  Review request from the author

Opening Line: "On the day of the simple question, Dad was in the basement with a blanket wrapped tight around Carson in an attempt to calm him after mom accidentally mentioned the S word:  storm."

Tomorrow is Rourke's first day at Hazard Middle School and he's doing what Rourke does best, staying up late worrying.   Rourke tries to use his usual calming techniques, but nothing seems to be working, until Sam reappears.  Sam has always been Rourke's voice of calm reasoning, but he is only an imaginary friend.  For a number of years, Rourke got along fine without him, but Sam's sudden reappearance during moments when he's stressed out has him a little unnerved.   With Carson now attending his school, there are plenty of things for Rourke to be stressed about.  Rourke's worries consume his thoughts and tie him up into knots.  He worries that Carson might have a difficult time fitting in and that people might try and bully him.  Ever since Carson was diagnosed with high-functioning autism, Rourke has worried about him.  He really loves his older brother, but this constant worrying has really taken a toll on him.  Carson has difficulty connecting with anyone except his younger brother, he doesn't follow social cues well, and he hates any physical contact, if he gets overstimulated by his environment, he will occasionally flap his arms.  Carson also has the potential to have a seizure if there are strobe lights or loud confusing sounds.    Rourke has always been concerned about Carson because he knows that his parents want him to protect his brother.  But how can he defend his brother when he is also concerned about making friends of his own?  

Rourke and Carson live with their twin younger sisters, their parents and two dogs. Their parents aren't overly concerned about Carson fitting in because they figure if Carson doesn't seem to mind what other people say, everything is fine.  Rourke is best friends with Phinney, who always has his back.  The beginning of school for Rourke is further complicated by his strange next-door neighbors, and Bart who has made rude comments about his brother in the past but has now landed himself in with the popular crowd.  And now that they're on the same football team, Rourke finds that he has to try and get along with Bart if he wants to succeed in middle school.  And then there's the new girl in his class that has caught his attention, Grace.  Rourke can't help noticing that she has bruises on her arm, and suddenly he begins to worry about her home life too.  

Overall, I really enjoyed The Worry Knot and felt that many kids could relate to the struggles of middle school that were being expressed in the story.  Oh Rourke, you so captured my heart.  Well Carson too, he's such a sweet boy who is obsessed with collecting stickers and wearing his Superman shirts, oh how much he loves his younger brother.  Their sibling bond is really the highlight of the book.  At the same time, you can't help but to relate to Rourke being so consumed by worries.  You just have to love how much he cares for his older brother and how he feels so responsible for ensuring that he is happy.  Rourke almost seems to take on all the worries in the world on his shoulders.  The whole story just drew me in with the way that the author developed each of her characters, they felt so real, and I was really vested in seeing how things progressed.  I loved how the author included a different character quote at the beginning of each chapter, it really put you into the mind of the different people in the story.   I found that I became so immersed in these two brothers and felt like the story truly highlights the difficulties that children can experience in middle school.  It's a story that builds empathy and highlights both the joy and challenges of autism.  I also really enjoyed the friendship that began to develop between Rourke and Grace, and how much energy he put into making sure she was safe.  The story also shows how a little kindness can go a long way and how family support is an important piece of growing up.  Included at the end of the book is an author's note highlighting the inspiration for the story and a series of discussion questions.   It's a story that I would highly recommend. 

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