Cover Image: Beverly, Right Here

Beverly, Right Here

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Member Reviews

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!⁣

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Beverly, Right Here is the third book in the “Three Rancheros” trio by Kate DiCamillo. Each book is about a different girl in the trio: Raymie Clark (Raymie Nightengale), Louisiana Elefante (Louisiana’s Way Home), and now Beverly Tapinski. I feel that they could be read as standalone books, but I don’t know why you wouldn’t read all of them after you experience the magic of any one of the three!

When Beverly Tapinski’s dog (Buddy) dies, she decides it’s time to leave, not run away- she’s done that plenty of times before. She finds herself in Tamaray Beach walking down the side of the A1A. In Tamaray, she finds a job at a fish restaurant even though she hates fish and a place to stay with Iola Jenkins at the Seaside Court RV Community. Beverly meets so many interesting people in her new little world and finally discovers who she is.

I should have really started this by saying that Kate DiCamillo has been and will always be my favorite author. I couldn’t contain myself when I received notification that I was approved to read this ARC! As always, I was transported to a world that I wish I could just pack up and move in to. The characters (even the unlikable ones) are amazing. This could have been a quick read for me, but I found myself taking my time to get through the book just so I could enjoy it more. I look forward to reading it again and again in the future!

*Thank you to Netgalley and Candlewick Press for the ARC of this book. This was a voluntary review.*

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Thank you NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.

First let me say that when I read this, I didn't realize that this was part of a collection. I must have been under a rock or something. Of course the two other companion novels were the two DiCamillo books I had not read yet: Book 1 Raymie Nighingale and Book 2 Louisiana’s Way Home.

Having read and really loved Louisiana's Way Home, which I read very recently, I was anxious to read Beveryly Right Here.

I have not yet read Raymie Nightengale, I guess because Beverly popped up on NetGalley, I decided to read it. Having read the books out of sequence is fine, however I highly recommend reading them in order. They are more enjoyable and make better sense that way.

A story of friendship, heartache, moving on and changing the status quo.

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New York Times best-selling author Kate DiCamillo’s touching, funny, and fearless conclusion to her sequence of novels about the beloved Three Rancheros. Though this is a stand-alone book, it is a companion novel to Raymie Nightingale and Louisiana’s Way Home.

Beverly Tapinski has no reason to stay at home. Her dog is dead and her alcoholic mother is more interested in herself and drinking than being a mother. So Beverly heads to Florida. She locates a place to stay, in Iola Jenkin’s trailer, and by lying about her age she finds a job at Mr. C’s restaurant.

As with many of DiCamillo’s books, the characters are unique and tend to own their place in the book. Iola is a lonely older woman who has lost her driving privileges and yet is still anxious to enjoy life on her terms, not her son’s. She picks up on the fact that Beverly might need a place to stay, so she allows her to move in her trailer with her. Though it works as a two-way road. She helps fill a void in Iola’s life, and also Iola wonders if Beverly can drive. Though only 14, Beverly poses as Iola Jenkin’s niece and happily becomes the driver. While Beverly is slow to form too much of a relationship with Iola, in time subtle lessons are passed on to Beverly about friendship, consideration, and trust.

Other key characters include Elmer a clerk she meets at Zoom City, and Freddie a waitress who helps Beverly get her job at the restaurant.

While the first book focuses on Raymie, Louisiana, and Beverly, this one as the title suggests is only about Beverly. A young girl who has developed a bit of a tough exterior and is determined to be independent and find her own way.

This book is an enjoyable story of watching Beverly grow with others as well as learn more about herself.

My thanks to #CandlewickPress and #NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. I appreciate being able to post my opinion.

What Concerned Me:
Though there really wasn’t anything I could put my finger on, I didn’t feel as connected with this story as other books by this author. I would still highly recommend it, however.

What I Liked Best:
I certainly liked the characters that surrounded Beverly and I enjoyed seeing the relationships grow with each of them.
Actual rating 4.5

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As a fan of Kate DiCamillo I was not surprised to enjoy the new book "Beverly, Right Here". DiCamillo's style of writing always has such heart, realness and sweet touches, while being interesting and having characters you feel like you get to know deep in your heart. Beverly's tough attitude gives way to tenderness as she connects with new friends and new relationships that challenge her previous experience with friendship, love, and trust. It was touching to see how the characters in the book needed each other, and only after coming together were they able to find pieces of themselves that they needed to be happy.

As I finished this book I was made aware that this is book #3 in a series - preceded by Raymie Nightingale (#1) and Lousiana's Way Home (#2). I quickly ran out to get the first two in the series to learn even more about the delightful characters the author created.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. #BeverlyRightHere #Netgalley

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It was an OK book. Full disclosure: I did not read the first book in which this character appears - perhaps I would feel different if I had. I felt that I wanted to know more - more things that were crossing the character's mind, more depth in a way.

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Kate DiCamillo's writing is consistently like coming home and BEVERLY, RIGHT HERE, is no different. It's sweet, it's heartbreaking, it's a real story that is needed.

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I like Kate DiCamillo's work, and I've really liked the other two companions to this one. I liked this one too, but it was oddly...existential, perhaps, for a middle grade book. There were moments where it felt more YA or even adult based on the action or the atmosphere or the characterizations, and I wondered whether this was more of a book with child characters that adults were meant to like rather than an actual book for young people. The arc of the plot was also fairly short, although perhaps for the length of the book that's to be expected. Overall, as I said, I enjoyed the book, but I'd like to see what readers in the actual intended age range would say.

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In the third beautiful book about the Three Rancheros (Raymie Nightingale and Louisiana's Way Home), we find ourselves running away with Beverly Tapinski. After her dog, Buddy, dies, Beverly decides to leave home - and to take care of herself and no one else. Beverly, though, finds herself in a community of captivating characters and her big heart can't help it - she finds herself making new friends who help her figure out what really needs to be take care of. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Beverly always was my favorite of the trio-- blunt, snarky, thoughtful, and all around... Beverly. After her dog passes away, she hitches a ride out of town, positive her alcoholic mother won't miss her. She moves into an elderly woman's trailer in exchange for driving her around town, and finds a job at a fish restaurant, all this despite her age of fourteen. Over this summer, she carves her own place into the quirky community. Contemporary magic, sure to become a classic.

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Where to start? This was easily one of my favorite reads of the year so far. Beverly, Right Here is a quick read and a profoundly beautiful one for something that uses such an economy of words.

Kate DiCamillo introduces us to Beverly Tapinski, revisiting the world she created with Raymie Nightingale. Being the third in the series, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get into it, as I haven’t read the first two. First of all, I plan to rectify that immediately, because I can’t believe I’ve gone all this way without being familiar with DiCamillo’s works. And secondly, there was nothing to worry about, as Beverly worked just fine as a stand-alone,

I loved the cast—these were flawed, lovable people filled with depth and humanity. DiCamillo is not overly wordy here, but she made such a clear world that drew me in. I couldn’t put this book down. And when it came to its all too quick end, I was in desperate search for more pages, because I just wanted to read more. I will absolutely be on the lookout for more books by this author. This is another huge win for Candlewick Press.

Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing this ARC in exchange for a review.

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Kate DiCamillo has charmed us again! Beverly, Right Here a charming coming of age story. Beverly simply walks out on her life with her mom after her dog dies. An amazing, but simple story unfolds of Beverly and the (mostly) charming people she encounters along the way. Beverly, Right Here is about knowing who you are and following your heart.

Beverly, Right Here gives us more of the self-possessed character, Beverly, we first met in Raymie Nightingale and Louisiana's Way Home. Kate DiCamillo is a master storyteller, perfect for middle grade readers.

I highly recommend Beverly, Right Here (in addition to Raymie Nightingale and Louisiana's Way Home, of course) for libraries serving students in grades 3-6.

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🏃🏻‍♀️ How many of us - at some point in our lives - have thought that things would be better if we could just start over somewhere else? That things would be better once we got THERE…like, it didn’t matter where THERE was…as long as it wasn’t here?

Kate DiCamillo’s newest middle-grade fiction book, Beverly, Right Here, tackles this notion through the eyes of a 14-year-old who desperately wants to survive. Who has seen too much. Who has lived through so much heartbreak that she just wants to run, run, run away.

Running is the easy part. Staying takes courage.

Beverly, Right Here is the final (😢) book in a trio of stories involving the Three Rancheros: Beverly Tapinski, Raymie Nightingale, and Louisiana Elefante.

As always, Kate DiCamillo has crafted a story in a way that only she can. When I first started reading, my heart felt tight. Closed off. Then, slowly, my heart loosened up as the story went on. It wasn’t until I read the last line of the book that I realized that this feeling mirrored Beverly’s own transformation.

Kate DiCamillo sure knows how to use a slow simmer to fully develop a character. 🥘

Beverly, Right Here will be a great addition to any home, school, or classroom library.

Suggested Grade Level: 5th

Author: Kate DiCamillo
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release Date: September 24, 2019

I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Love reading anything by Kate Dicamillo! I eagerly await her next book! This one was everything I had hoped for.

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