An emotional and profound story that everyone should read no matter your preferred genre. This tale is full of heart, sadness, laughter, and more. There's something in this story that everyone can relate to! Grab yourself a copy. I promise you won't be sorry. The storytelling is brilliant!

This book really surprised me. It dealt with a lot of issues kids go through these days (divorce and all the things that come with it), and the characters were all well rounded, with distinct personalities and their own issues, likes/dislikes etc. There were a few words that came up that I felt may be above the reading level of the intended target audience, but I don't think it's enough to take away from the book.

Alice was a very relatable main character, and I think a lot of readers will connect with her. She deals with issues including her parents divorce, her dad moving out, her brothers living with her aunt, and a mother who can't deal with the aftermath of an accident. She meet a girl who is more interested in science and facts that making friends, a neighbor girl who seems to have some sort of developmental or mental issues, and wants nothing more than to be the best swimmer she can and make it on to the record boards. She tries navigating her new world and doing the best she can, but feels like the whole world is against her at times, which I think many kids feel like at times. I know I sure did. I would definitely recommend this, not just for younger readers, but for older ones as well.

Everything is changing for Alice as summer approaches. Her family is crumbling around her as her father moves out, her younger brothers go to live with an aunt and she is left to help her mother who is struggling with physical and mental issues. Alice has to deal with some hard financial realities because now her father has to support two households. New neighbors move in next door and there is tension from the beginning when Alice has a late-night encounter with their daughter, Piper, who has some developmental delays. Alice has been a competitive swimmer for years and now she is moving to a new age bracket and is at a disadvantage because she will be racing against older, more experienced swimmers. Alice has also isolated herself from her friends because of all the challenges she faces at home.

At swimming practice Alice meets Harriet who is “exceedingly” intelligent and excels in many areas including academics, music and swimming but is socially awkward. The two girls share many experiences throughout the summer and learn some valuable lessons.

When I started this book I was skeptical that the author would be able to successfully address all the themes she introduced. This book explores many different family dynamics, friendships, and mental health challenges. It also promotes math, science and participation in sports. I especially enjoyed the investigation of the idea that the difference between things that are often considered total opposites can be very small. I was satisfied that the author had sufficiently dealt with all these topics by the end of the story.

The writing in this novel is beautiful and the characters are convincing. I really liked this book and I highly recommend it to anyone. However, my personal experience tells me it will be difficult to get boys to read it because the main character is female, thus making it a "girl" book.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

This book gets put into the category of Must Reads 2018. I loved everything about Alice and growing with her was infinitely rewarding.

Tiny Infinities is a wonderful book geared towards ages 11- 14. What I enjoyed most about it is that there is an honest focus on what happens when you feel like your life is out of control- how do you cope? I think this premise of this novel will hit home with a lot of my students. I also loved the science focus, and the resilient characters.

Alice's life is incredibly difficult. Her mother was injured in a terrible car accident, and the pain has left her unable to function in life. This isn't easy on Alice's father, and he decided to move out to make things easier. Alice decides if he is moving out, then so is she, and she decides to live in a large Renaissance tent in the backyard. She tells her parents that she will move back in when her father does, and commits to a summer living alone in the yard.

Things change when her summer begins, as Alice gets ready to spend all of her time chasing her dreams. She wants a place on the record board with her swim team, and she is convinced improving her freestyle time is the best way to get it. She meets a unique new friend, Harriet, who shows her through research that the backstroke is where her record will come. The girls become odd friends, and Alice's swimming summer is underway.

One more complication comes when Alice begins helping the neighbors babysit their two children. The young girl, Piper, is mute, and Alice seems to be the one person that can connect with her. With so many changes going on in her life, will Alice be able to keep everything together?

This book was definitely unique. The characters in it were all different than what you normally see. The people were all real and flawed, but that was probably the biggest detraction from the story as well. Overall, the story had many emotional parts, and these made the characters relatable. The problems the characters had took a little bit away from the story, though, as it was difficult to cheer for them when they kept making mistakes. It was still worth reading, but it could have been a little bit better if Alice, Harriet, and the adults in Alice's life would have been a little bit better.

This book would be good for a younger reader. I think it read just a bit too young for my taste.

There are no simpler words to describe this book than as a tiny infinity of its own. It is understated in its beauty and brilliance. At first, you may wonder what the point of it is, because, in all honesty, nothing really happens. It isn't a grand adventure or an outright heartbreaker, but the little ways that it hurts you or lifts your spirit can almost go unnoticed if you're not paying attention. I loved every moment of it.

A nothing story told in subtle, yet beautiful, intricacies. We all need stories like these at one point or another.

(Very appropriately titled. Brava!)

*thank you to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3 stars.

Such an impressive book. It's based for Middle Grade readers but most ages above will also get some enjoyment out of this. It deals with hard, but unfortunately, common topics. Yet it has a unique way of normalizing these issues to make it a bit easier for younger readers to read and understand. This is another great book dealing with real problems aimed towards a younger audience. It's well told and in its own way, beautiful. My thoughts on the cover are that at first, it's too dark. But once I lightened it up a little I was able to see just how astonishingly beautiful it is! If it wasn't so dark I'd give this a thumbs up for being one of my top book covers

This book was written beautifully and look at this cover! Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

This story is about Alice whose father and brother have moved out leaving her with her troubled mother. She does her best to make things right in her life that seems to be falling apart at the age of 13. She befriends her neighbors, one of whom is a little girl who doesn't speak. Alice leanrs to navigate life and all of it's complexities and she does it with more maturity than most adults, including her mother.

I would recommend this book. I have been hooked on middle-grade books that touch upon real life challenges and mix it with a little whimsy and this one had it.

Lovely story of a young teen coming to terms with the separation of her parents and changes in the neighborhood including the arrival of a new family with a suspected autistic daughter.
Well written with authentic settings between home and swim practice / meet.

Alice is twelve years old, and her summer has begun tumultuously. Her father has moved out, and her younger brothers are staying at her aunt's for the summer. Alice is expected to go with her siblings, but she insists on staying at home with her mother, and pitches a tent in the backyard in protest. Her tent will bring her father home, will make her mother happy and physically well again.

Instead, Alice meets a new friend (the very scientific minded Harriet) through her swim team, as well as intriguing new neighbors with three children. She begins babysitting the youngest child, and builds a relationship with the middle one, Piper, a little girl who has mysteriously stopped talking.

I like middle grade books that tackle difficult subjects, which Tiny Infinities does with grace. By the end of the summer, Alice realizes that no amount of tents or backyard-living will heal her family. But she can, however, help Piper find her own way to heal. And just as importantly, she can help mend herself.

Thank you to Chronicle Books and Netgalley for an ARC.

This novel is recommended for Grades 5 and up, Ages 10 and up. I was granted access to an ARC of "Tiny Infinities" through Net Galley, and am pleased to offer my honest opinion on what I read.



Despite being well outside the target age range for readers, I really enjoyed "Tiny Infinities." I can easily see how this novel will appeal to middle school readers. The perspective of Alice is very genuine to everything I felt when I was that age, and what I see kids today feeling, as well. Middle school, approaching high school, is a very difficult time for kids. A time made much, much more difficult when decisions by their parents drastically change their world, and which they have no say in. Alice experience the separation of her parents. Her opinion is not listened to by her parents, despite her best efforts. That is frustrating enough, but then she experiences the added "bonus" of her parents constantly trying to interfere with other aspects of her regular routine for the sake of their own convenience.



For Alice, the summer of her 13th birthday is one of stress, strife, growth, and change. She doesn't always handle it well. In fact, she occasionally makes a pretty serious mistake and then has to face the consequences. Overall, though, she remains insightful, and strives to be open to understanding where others are coming from. She is the kind of person most of us would like to be friends with, and I feel she is a great literary role model for all kids.



Alice's newfound friend, Harriet, is a remarkable person in her own right. Though a secondary character, she experiences growth and change as a result of her friendship with Alice. Their relationship is a great example of how we may have a positive influence on each other, and how we need to be open and understanding that we are not the only ones who make mistakes. As long as we take the time to listen to each other, and remember the golden rule, Alice and Harriet show us that friends can do so much to make our lives and ourselves better.



I found this book to be extra special for my family because of, frankly, a few coincidences. It releases on May 8th, which happens to be my son's 8th birthday. A central feature of the novel are the fireflies, which are a favorite summertime treat of my kids. My own kids are little water ducklings, as well. I read "Tiny Infinities" aloud to both of them, and they really enjoyed it. My daughter felt very drawn to Piper, and wanted to play the same kinds of games she played. My daughter is four. She commented on being able to make Piper talk. My son really liked Harriet, because she is "super smart and has good numbers." I smiled every single time I read this to my children. In the end, I hope I am a little like Alice, and that I may be a person who can reach others.

I was given this ARC as an ebook by NetGalley for an honest review.
Tiny Infinities is focused on Alice, a 13-year-old girl who, in the midst of one summer deals with her parents splitting up, her mother recovering from an accident, a girl next door who is mute and deaf, and an obsession with getting her swim times up on the record board at the pool. At first, this sounds like something that wouldn't be readable. But you would be wrong. This book is one that I think every Middle-Grade reader, and everyone else, should at sometime pick up and read.
It's said that kids have it easy, but this book proves that that's not true. It also hits on topics that many books tend to stray away from such as divorce, teenage friendships/relationships, and childhood disorders.
Alice all throughout this book is dealing with the fallout of her mother's accident the summer before and now her parents are splitting up and her mother seems to only be self-focused and tends to place blame not meant for Alice, on Alice. Alice is also right at the edge of “teenage-hood.” She's just turned 13 and is in that weird stage between teenager and childhood. The one where she's expected to be a kid, but also be a little bit more grown up.
The one consistency throughout the entire summer, the one thing that doesn't change that she clings onto is swimming. I'm so glad that Alice gets a friend that is just as slightly weird as her. Harriet and Alice balance each other out quite nicely and I love their dynamic. The friendship between them felt real and not at all forced. Owen is a nice addition because he truly becomes a friend to Alice but also, kind of helps her figure that it's okay to have a crush on someone and still be friends with them.
One of the many things I loved about this book was Alice's connection with Piper. Piper, who throughout was believed to have a form of Autism, doesn't really connect with others and yet Alice doesn't give up. She's patient and lets Piper learn and grow and connect at her own pace. I loved that Diehl added Piper right at the beginning because it gave the reader a different perspective on what childhood disorders might look like, and also, that children who do have childhood disorders such as Piper shouldn't be treated or seen any differently, but that they're a person with value just as they are.
I absolutely loved this book. It was accurate and engaged so many topics that many children at this age are dealing with. It was a great, quick, and easy read and it's not hard to fall in love with its characters. Alice was such a great main character that I feel many that read this book in the target age group can identify with on some level. I really hope that more books like this published. They're needed and could be such a great resource to those dealing with issues in their own life such as the ones included in the book. This is one of those books that should be in the forefront and on top of everyone's reading list as soon as it's published.

Exceeded my expectations. Far more sophisticated characters and writing style than I imagined going into this. The story was complex yet suitable for the age range.

This book was a struggle to read. I felt completely lost.

I adored this book. For those of you reading this review close to when I write it in 2017, I'm sorry you have to wait for the release of this book but it is completely worth it. I have to say I was a bit leery going into this one just because I knew it would rely on the characters and I'm picky with character building but the author did an amazing job of building the main characters. I especially loved Harriet. This is not your typical coming of age book but it's a great one for early teens as it's a clean book that deals with hard stuff and real relationships, including how to cope. It does a pretty good job of normalizing things that many kids struggle with and that's never a bad thing. Basically what I'm saying is if you've read the blurb on the cover and it sounds even vaguely interesting, buy it! You won't regret the read.

I can't leave a review from this book since I was unable to load on my device

Tiny Infinities  by J.H Diehl, is a Middle Grade novel with themes above it's age range. It was all about invisible lines drawn in life. How do we determine when warm becomes hot? When cool becomes warm? Were is that lines exactly? It also reminds us that in life there is a lot of gray area. Alice is having a rough summer. Her mother is sick and her family is falling apart. Her dad and brothers moved out and she's moved into a tent in her back yard. Nothing is going the way she thinks it should. If her dad still loves her, why doesn't he live at home? Why does her mother have to be so negative all the time? And why can't the small child next door hear or talk? Alice tries to figure it all out with the help of her friends, Harriet and Owen.

This book involves a lot of talk about swimming. I was honestly bored to death during these parts. Another thing this book has an excess of is science and big word. Seriously, Harriet knows words I don't know. Or didn't know, until reading this novel. However it made up for this lack when it came to scenes with Piper, the child who moved in next door to Alice. Piper can't talk or hear. She used to be able to, and one day she just didn't anymore, until one day while babysitting, Alice hears her say a word. No one believes Alice, which naturally makes her feel worse, because of course, her life is falling apart this summer. She makes it her mission to get Piper to talk again, and in the process, makes her mother more untrusting of her than ever.

This story was good. But I feel like it was a little too deep for a middle grade novel, I don't think kids could exactly comprehend the themes behind it. Overall though, the story was good, minus the swimming bits. 3 stars.