I read the ‘Three Ranchero’ series out of order. ‘Louisiana’s Way Home’ was my first Kate DiCamillo read (ever) and it remains my favourite of the series. I absolutely adored Louisiana and every Burke Allen competed to become my favourite character.

When I read Raymie’s story I was introduced to this wonderful spitfire of a young girl called Beverly. I suspected at the time that Beverly would wind up being my favourite character of the series and couldn’t wait to read more about her. A little over three months ago I read her story and was shocked to discover that it was my least favourite book of the series at the time. I didn’t want to accept that so I decided a reread was in order. I’m so glad I tried again because I absolutely fell in love with Beverly’s story this time!

Before I go any further I want to share with you what is quite possibly my favourite passage of the entire series. It’s an excerpt of the author’s letter to the reader at the beginning of this book. It’s so beautiful that I keep rereading it. It makes me want to be a better person every time I see it.

“Raymie Nightingale is about the saving grace of friendship. Louisiana’s Way Home is about deciding who you are. And Beverly, Right Here is about acting on that knowledge of who you are. They are all stories of becoming, I think. And all three of these books are about the power of community - the grace of someone opening a door and welcoming you in, and maybe most of all, having the courage to walk through that door once it’s open.”

I get a little misty eyed even thinking about it. Anyway, without further ado …

It’s August 1979 and Beverly Tapinski is now 14 years old. Buddy, the one eyed “Dog of Our Hearts”, has died and Beverly has decided to leave home.

“She had run away from home plenty of times, but that was when she was just a kid.
It wasn’t running away this time, she figured. It was leaving.
She had left.”

Grieving the loss of her dog but determined not to cry, Beverly winds up at Seahorse Court. There she meets Iola Jenkins, an elderly lady who lives in a pink trailer with His Majesty, King Nod, an overweight grey cat.

“In a crooked little house by a crooked little sea.”

Pretty soon Beverly, who doesn’t like fish, is working in a seafood restaurant and eating tuna melts regularly. This child who believes she belongs to no one becomes important to some new friends and despite her best efforts not to let anyone into her heart, they find a way.

With a horse that takes you on a ride to nowhere, a determined and hopeful seagull and Christmas in July in August, this story cracked my heart wide open during my reread. I wanted to adopt both rough around the edges Beverly and quirky but loveable Iola, but my favourite character was Elmer. He’s polite, smart, sensitive and willing to step outside of his comfort zone, and he’s the type of friend that you know will be there for you no matter what. I adore him and would love to read about what happens to him in the years after this book finishes. Or he can just be my friend. Whatever comes first.

While I feel more satisfied after my reread and aren’t as desperate in my search for a nonexistent epilogue, I would love to one day learn that a fourth Rancheros book is being published, one that takes place 20 or 30 years later. It would be wonderful to catch up with this trio once they’re all grown up to find out what’s become of their lives and their friendship.

I’ve already read two of the Ranchero books twice and I loved both more the second time. I get the feeling that no matter how many times I return to them in the future I’m going to enjoy them more with every reread.

Content warnings include mention of the death of a beloved pet, inappropriate touching, bullying, abandonment and neglect by parents.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Original Review 15 June 2019 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Just finished reading and I have no idea what to write in my review so I’m going to ponder for a while. Oh, and while I’m at it, I’m going to frantically search for an epilogue because I don’t want to accept that the end is truly the end. I have too many question marks about everything that’s unresolved. I need closure!

Revisiting one of the characters from Raymie Nightingale, Beverly's story as she meets new people and makes new friends.

Beverly, Right Here wraps up the stories of the three girls we met in Raymie Nightingale. Beverly has left home because she is feeling lost and alone. As she wanders, she encounters quirky characters who help her find herself again. Again, we realize that we don't know what is going on in the private lives of others even when it all seems better than our situation. I loved the relationships that develop even though Beverly is trying to keep her distance. Raymie makes a small cameo appearance via phone call. You don't have to have read the other two books to understand this one, but the experience will be richer if you have. I enjoyed this book, but it didn't feel like an ending as much as a continuing journey. I did feel hopeful for Beverly at the end.

DiCamillo engages readers of all ages with a crossover story about finding family. The story’s theme is sealed with the Christmas in July celebration in August. The story is full of good, loving characters who come together by chance.

I've been waiting for this one and was so excited to snag an ARC from Net Galley. Kate is a master storyteller and I especially love the Three Rancheros story. There is so much depth to this series. I hope there is a fourth book where they all come together again. You won't be able to put this one down.

Kate DiCamillo writes very dynamic characters in her middle grades novels, and Beverly, Right Here, is no exception. She writes characters that are mature beyond their time, and these characters are really needed in today's world. Beverly decides to leave when she cannot cope with the loss of a pet, so headstrong, she sets off to make sense of the world. Kids will enjoy the hilarious scenarios that Beverly gets herself in.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

It's 1979 and it's been four years since Raymie Nightingale, Louisiana Elefante, and Beverly Tapinski found each other and became the Three Rancheros, promising to rescue each other whenever they are needed. In 1975, it had been necessary rescue 10-year-old Raymie (Raymie Nightingale) in order for her to find to true home. And, in 1977, it was 12-year-old Louisiana's turn (Louisiana's Way Home) who needed to rely on her friends to find her true home. Now, it's 14-year-old, Beverly who needs rescuing.

Beverly has always been known for running away from home, and being returned to a alcoholic mother who just wasn't very interested in her. Now, she's done with running away, and after burying her beloved dog Buddy, Beverly figures there's nothing to keep her at home anymore and so she decides to simply leave. Hitching a ride with Joe Travis, a cousin she doesn't much care for (and the feeling is mutual), Beverly makes it as far as Tamaray Beach, Florida.

Walking down the A1A, she comes upon Mr. C's fish restaurant. There, she meets Freddie, the waitress with big, big unrealistic dreams, and owner Mr. Denby, disorganized and depressed now that his wife and three daughters have left him. Open only for lunch, Beverly gets an under-the-table job the busing tables.

Beverly also finds a place to stay with lonely widow Iola Jenkins, who gives her a place to sleep and a flowered nightgown, feeds her a steady diet of tuna melts, and in return Beverly drives Iola's Pontiac to the VFW so she can play bingo.

Beverly also meets cook Doris and dishwasher Charles at work, and Elmer, a bullied, sensitive Dartmouth-bound teen who loves art and is working in the local convenience store for the summer. As Beverly gets to know each of these people, as she begins to be a part of their lives, and they hers, she starts to realize some things about herself as well. They are an eccentric cast of characters as only Kate DiCamillo can put together, but the focus is always on Beverly. Raymie and Louisiana are present throughout the book, mostly in Beverly's thoughts, although only Raymie makes the briefest of appearances at the end of the book. Their presence. however, proves how strong their bond of friendship is and how important they are to Beverly. In fact, friendship is one of the dominant themes, along with loss, trust, hope, home and how we define it, and the importance of just being there for people who rely on Beverly and on whom Beverly rely.

Beverly, Right Here unfolds as languidly as a hot summer day, as Beverly searches and finds her emotional truth. DiCamillo's sentences are simple enough, yet so powerful and there's not a single gratuitous word in any of them. Beverly's story is a wonderful coming of age tale, and like life, it doesn't come to a neat conclusion, but leaves lots of questions about Beverly's future.

It does make me sad to think that this is probably the last time we will hear about the Three Rancheros, yet I know that one day, I will revisit each their narratives and I suspect it will yield a greater truth then do their individual stories.

You can download a useful Discussion Guide for Beverly, Right Here courtesy of the publisher, Candlewick Press.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley

I’ve not read the first two stories in this series, but have been a fan of the Kate DiCamilla’s middle grades literature for years. Now that I’ve read Beverly, Right Here, I am placing the previous two books at the top of my to-be-read pile. This was a lovely tale of a young girl struggling to accept life’s events. Striking out on her own by running away from a parent who seems to little care for her daughter’s emotional needs, Beverly finds that there are people who care and that family is sometimes those we choose to care about and those who choose to care about us. Not too heavy to turn away middle grade readers. I will recommend this to my fourth grade students. Thank you to Candlewick Press and netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute little children’s novel that left me smiling at the end. I’ve read two other books by DiCamillo, The Tale of Desperaux and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Both super cute books.

Beverly Right Here is about a 14-year-old girl who leaves home. Her beloved dog just died, and her mother wants no part in her daughter’s life. From the brief scene she’s in, I can understand why Beverly would want to get away. So, alone, without her best fur friend, she stops in a little town by the sea. She seems unwilling at first to let people help her or be her friend, but she eventually finds herself warming up to them. In the end, through interacting with the people by the crooked little sea, she finds her place and herself.

This is a very quick read, so if you’re in the mood for a sweet children’s story to fill a couple hours, then let Beverly into your heart ❤️

Thank you to Netgalley and Candlewick Press for an e-arc to review.

BEVERLY, RIGHT HERE is a quiet, but heartbreakingly raw coming-of-age story that features loss and the healing power of found family.

After the loss of her dog Buddy, Beverly runs away from home. There isn’t much thought involved, just the desperate need to get away and leave the loss behind her. But fate is kind to this lost soul when she stumbles upon a job, a home, and a sorely needed family.

I remember when I first saw the cover of this book and sat stunned at seeing my name on the cover. There aren’t a lot of Beverlys in the world, but to see the name paired with a young face, it struck a chord with me.

“Beverly could think of all kinds of reasons not to trust. People leave — that was one of the reasons. People pretended to care, but they don’t, really —that was another one. Dogs die, and your friends help you to put them in the ground. That was a big one, right there.”

In a weird way, it was like looking at a portrait of my younger self. A quietly suffering girl, keeping silent if only to keep herself together. She’s rough around the edges, but the sight of an elderly woman in need, or a small child cracks those carefully built walls. Small acts of rebellions, fixations on small, hopeful things, and the struggle to try to heal when you’re without everything you’ve ever known.

I hope this book reaches those other lost souls and brings them as much comfort as it did for me.

5 out of 5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an electronic ARC from Candlewick Press through NetGalley.
The third book with Raymie and Louisiana's stories. The story begins just after Beverly has buried her dog. She's battling grief and a sense of not belonging so she catches a ride with her cousin and heads for another town to escape. Readers see her rise to challenges - a job, a place to stay, etc. Most of all, we see Beverly slowly learning to trust in herself and other people.
DiCamillo works her magic and brings out this young woman who has raised herself and taken care of her alcoholic mother. She subtly reveals the scars Beverly bears until she's able to express her sources of pain and anger going back to her dad leaving when she was so young.
In this new town, Tamaray, she finds a job at a restaurant, meets an older woman who takes her in (Iola), finds a boy friend (Elmer), and stands up for what's right and fair.
The ending shows a young girl who has figured out who she is, who she can trust, and where she wants to go in life.
Read this in one sitting.

A fitting end to the Three Rancheros trilogy in "a crooked little house by a crooked little sea." Beverly Tapinski leaves the grave of her beloved dog Buddy and hitches a ride to Tamaray. Once she gets there she starts walking and experiencing what is right there. Beverly is a resilient young lady who is wise beyond her years. As she makes her way through town, she makes a difference in the lives of everyone she meets. Of course, even though Beverly's dear dog has died there are new animals to liven up her stay in Tamaray in a persistent seagull and a cat named Nod. (Beverly does not like cats, but Nod falls in love with her.) DiCamillo has given us yet another classic story to cherish and I can envision it being picked up as a read aloud in classes all over the country.

Thank you to Candlewick and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beverly, Right Here is the follow-up story about Beverly Tapinski, a main character in Kate DiCamillo's previous novel, Raymie Nightingale. I read this novel not realizing it was a sequel and that ended up being just fine - this novel stands alone very well. In this story, Beverly, devastated by her dog's death, runs away from home, landing in a little ocean side community where she finds a job busing tables and encounters an old lady, Iola, who will take her in in exchange for driving Iola around town.

I found Beverly a pretty captivating character... very steady and mature. I never worried about this 14 year old girl being away from home. Beverly starts out a bit lost, as if she's looking for something but she's not sure what, but as the story progresses we see Beverly process her personal traumas and begin to understand herself and what she wants in life. Soon Beverly begins to understand that her found family is the most important thing, and that other people can be relied upon to provide the love and support her real family has not.

Beverly, Right Here is a great character study and an interesting throw back to different times when it would have been possible for a 14 year old girl to hitch a ride to wherever, find a job, and stay with a complete stranger without the authorities being called even once. The story is entertaining and the messaging is lovely for a this age group; I definitely recommend for middle grade readers.

Kate DiCamillo is my go-to author when recommending books to my students. Her books encompass so many different topics and appeal to a wide audience. She brings important life lessons to each book, but in an appropriate middle grade manner. I have loved this Raymie Nightingale series and I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to the Three Rancheros!⁣
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In book three, and the conclusion to this trio of friends stories, we follow Beverly as she runs away from home. I adore this firecracker of a character and her antics in this book did not disappoint. The people she meets along her journey and the lessons they learn from each other are heartfelt and authentic. This was a great ending to a fantastic series BUT...I need more. I feel like there’s still some loose ends and I need some closure. If you have a middle grade reader or work with them in any capacity, I highly recommend these books! For me, Beverly Right Here was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Thank you @candlewickpress for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a faithful Kate DiCamillo reader and her books are some of my favorites, true masterpieces for the ages. Maybe I had too high of hopes for Beverly, Right Here, but it just fall flat for me. The lack of character development was painfully obvious. I finished the book with little sense of who Beverly is, and why I should care about her story. Same for Iona. The plot felt circuitous and a little boring. I'm so confused by this resolution of Three Rancheros trilogy, and disappointed.

I knew going into this book that it was a middle grade story. I think that I loved Because of Winn Dixie so much that I was hoping to love Beverly, Right Here just as much. Unfortunately, I didn't love it as much as I was hoping. I think that the story felt very unfinished for me. We have a 14 year old girl who runs away from home because her dog dies. She has no other reason other than that and that her mom doesn't pay enough attention to her. I wish we had more of that back story. Did something happen with her mom and her? Why did her dad leave? The story was so short that I feel like Beverly didn't have time to grow. She staid the same through out the whole story. And then the story kind of just ended. I know this was an ARC and there is a possibility that there is more to the story, but I felt like there was so much more to the story than I got.

Beverly, Right Here is the third and final book in the trilogy that follows the characters that Kate DiCamillo introduced with Raymie Nightingale. Beverly, true to the character that DiCamillo has shown us in the previous books, is stand-offish, closed-off, and unwilling to admit that she needs anyone or that there is anyone in her life that matters to her. The only people who have come close to broaching her walls are Raymie and Louisiana, and the latter moved away, leaving her two friends behind. So Beverly decides to follow suit, leaving her small town behind without a word and up-and-moving to the beach. Despite her best efforts to remain closed-off and unattached, Beverly immediately starts to meet a handful of people who begin to show her how important human connections are and what happens when we finally start to open up to one another.

It is almost difficult to discuss or review Beverly, Right Here because there are simply not words to explain the impact this book had on me. If I thought that Raymie Nightingale and Louisiana's Way Home were emotional home runs, than DiCamillo completely knocked it out of the park with this book. I had tears in my eyes throughout the majority of the book because the prose and the interactions between the characters were just so powerful. This book hurt me in all the best ways. It made me grieve for those like Beverly, who have been hurt over and over by the people who are supposed to love and care for them, and who have decided they are unworthy or undeserving of love and affection. I also hurt for the people that Beverly encounters in her journey, from the elderly and lonely Iola, who offers her shelter, to Freddie, the seafood restaurant waitress who keeps reassuring Beverly and everyone else that she's going to be somebody one day. Like other books in the trilogy, Beverly, Right Here is subtle in its impact, writing, and action but that makes it all the more powerful. This is a deeply, deeply touching book that is honestly one of the best I have read all year. The end is heartbreaking but beautifully hopeful and, despite what I and other readers might have wanted, is very realistic. Beverly, Right Here is a true coming of age story. DiCamillo is one of the greatest middle-grades writers since the genre's inception and never fails to deliver well-rounded, realistic characters, genuine emotion, and a lesson that makes you feel almost as though you, too, had to learn it the hard (or at least the more difficult) way. I would love to see her write a dozen more books featuring these three characters, but there's also something beautiful about this conclusion and the promise with which DiCamillo leaves her readers.

There is no one like Kate DiCamillo for writing poignant novels about broken young people who transcend their circumstances through kindness and perception. I love Beverly's healing interactions with Iola, a lonely widow who lives in a trailer, and Elmer, a gifted and wonderful boy who was bullied in high school. Their appreciation and enactment of small kindnesses sets off a spiral of healing, not just for Beverly, who is mourning the death of her dog, but Iola who is facing the loss of her independence, and Elmer, who with Beverly's friendship, is for the first time in his life not isolated and alone. Through their innate kindness, they buoy up each other and in doing so, heal themselves along the way. The fish restaurant, the tuna melts, the bingo, the bully -- what can I say? I love this novel. I was sorry to see it end but I loved the open nature of the ending.

Kate DiCamillo writes books that touch the heart, and Beverly, Right Here does not disappoint. This novel is the third in a series (Raymie Nightingale and Louisiana’s Way Home), but works as a stand alone novel. Fourteen year old Beverly Tapinski leaves home after her beloved dog Buddy dies, escaping a dysfunctional family life with an alcoholic mother and a non-existent father. She ends up hitching a ride with her cousin Joe who deposits her on the side of the road in a seaside town in 1979.

Beverly does not want or need anyone; she wants to navigate life alone. But as she reluctantly helps elderly Iola, works at a fish restaurant, and meets Elmer who works at Zoom City, Beverly slowly changes. She begins to find herself and make connections with others. The writing is like poetry, little gems of meaning that add up to big life lessons. “We will help each other out. We’ll trust each other.” The process of how Beverly changes with the help of her quirky new friends is the magic of how DiCamillo writes. Highly recommended.

Kate DiCamillo has once again captivated me entirely with her newest work. I loved this sweet little novel. I am so glad we got to see a glimpse into Beverly's, the third friend of the Raymie Nightingale trio, life. DiCamillo is so talented when it comes to writing about emotions. She takes a tough to navigate topic and masterfully shows young readers that they are not alone. This story was so hopeful despite the loneliness of the main character. I cannot wait to recommend this to my students.