Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey by Erin Entrada Kelly

Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey: A brief review and summary. This charming new book for kids ages 6 to 9 is perfect for summer reading. Scroll down for a fun GIVEAWAY!

We've loved every book that Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly has written, so we picked up her newest children's book with big expectations. Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey is wonderful, of course, and I'm so happy to share it with you just in time for summer reading!

Note: the Amazon links in this post are affiliate links. Also, I partnered with The Children’s Book Review and Harper Collins Publishers on a Book Tour for Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey. I received books and compensation. Review opinions are 100% my own.

What is Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey About?

It's summer time in Louisiana and eight-year-old Marisol Rainey wants to climb a tree. Maybe.

The thing is, there's a Magnolia tree in her backyard that everyone loves because it is the perfect tree for climbing. Marisol named the tree Peppina (because she believes all important things should have their own name) and she spends a lot of time thinking about that tree and watching her best friend Jada climb it. But whenever Marisol thinks about climbing the tree, she also thinks about falling.

This might be the summer that Marisol finally overcomes her fears and climbs the tree, but in the meantime she's also making movies with her best friend, playing imaginative games in the backyard, dealing with bullies, learning how to get along with her brother, and missing her dad who is away working on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

The story is funny and relatable and every time we finished a chapter, my 6 year old wanted to go outside and climb a tree. Now that's my kind of book!

What We Loved About the Book

I'm always excited when I find a great book for this younger age range, kids ages 6 to 9. With only 145 pages and just 6 chapters, it's the perfect step-up from easy readers and early chapter books. The short chapters combined with all of the adorable and funny black and white illustrations throughout the book, will keep young readers moving through the story at a steady pace.

This is also an excellent short chapter book to read aloud to kids ages 4 to 7. We enjoyed it so much that I decided to include it in this year's Family Summer Reading Guide as a read aloud book!

But what we loved most about Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey was its simplicity. It's a sweet and simple story about an ordinary summer and that is exactly what makes it such a charming read. I especially loved that Marisol gets to conquer her tree-climbing-fears on her own time and in her own way. She is a perfectly loveable character - funny, anxious, wonderfully realistic, and the kind of character that kids can really relate to. You can't help but root for her all the way.

Best of all, there are going to be more Marisol Rainey books! There's nothing I love more than a really great children's book series. I can't wait to see what Marisol gets up to next.

You're definitely going to want to add this to your summer reading list. And, if it makes your kids want to go climb trees too, all the better!

Get your own copy here.