"Schmidt makes the implausible believable and the everyday momentous. A gentle, hopeful, moving story." — Booklist (starred review)
"Schmidt, whose Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy won both Printz and Newbery Honors, delivers another winner. Deeply satisfying." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Schmidt [gets] to the emotional heart of every scene without overstatement. Another virtuoso turn by the author of Lizzie Bright." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Schmidt rises above the novel's conventions to create memorable and believable characters." — Horn Book (starred review)
"One of my favorite books of the year." — New York Times
"A graceful novel full of goodwill, yearning and heart." — San Francisco Chronicle
"An entertaining and nuanced novel. There are laugh-out-loud moments that leaven the many poignant ones." — School Library Journal
"An accessible, humorous school story, and at the same time, an insightful coming-of-age tale." — BookPage
"Fans of Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy may be pleasantly surprised to see Schmidt's lighter, even sillier side." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books