Super fun middle grade story told in alternating chapters. Love the exploration of new friendship, middle child neglect, and impending divorce with a little history and espionage thrown in.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

4.5 stars for this fun and engaging story that made me research the possibility of a house swap! The story goes back and forth seamlessly between Allie, from England, and Sage, from California, as the girls swap houses for a vacation, but not without a few bumps! Great conversation starters about friendship, family, and divorce and a fun way to explore California and England from the comfort of your home! A fun add to any classroom library.

Middle grade contemporary realistic fiction. This book was so much fun-- family drama, cross cultural travel and interactions, and even chickens! An English family did a house swap with an American family from California. The English family consists of Allie, her parents, her older brother Max, younger sister Willow, their Newfoundland dog named Bear, and three hens. The American family is Sage, her cat Pandora, and her parents, though her father is traveling for work and not joining the family in England. When Bear gets sick, Allie and her mother stay home a little longer while the rest of the family heads to California. Allie and Sage are initially not too sure what to make of each other, but soon become friends. Allie is interested in spies and does things like fingerprint her siblings. So when they hear Sage's mom say something, Allie is determined to get to the bottom of it. They devise a Parent Trap style plan to get Sage's dad to England. But Allie has to leave before the plan goes into action. Is Sage brave enough to carry it out on her own?

I found so much of this story true to life-- the popular mean girl next door, the sibling drama, the parenting struggle to give each kid what they need. I loved seeing Sage and her mom adjust to the small English village (her lactose intolerance was big news-- what is this almond milk?). The bulk of the time in California was spent at surf camp, but it was still interesting to see Allie's reactions to the modern house that Sage was used to.

Have you ever thought, “I would love to read a middle grade book that takes The Parent Trap & blends it up with one of the best Christmas movies ever, The Holiday?” Well, if your answer to that was yes, then The Holiday Swap by Yvette Clark is the book for you.

Allie (Allegra) lives in The Cotswolds & struggles with an annoying older brother & a busy, noisy family. Sage is an only child—a California girl through & through. Their moms plan a “The Holiday” style house swap, but Allie & her mom end up having to stay behind for a bit in England, due to a pet emergency. This means that Allie gets to know Sage over a few days & they become fast friends. Sage’s parents are struggling in their relationship, so Allie & Sage strike up a parent trap style plan to bring them back together.

I thought it was absolutely adorable & a great holiday read (even though it’s actually set in the summer).

There is some interesting history folded into the book, which I enjoyed learning more about. Sage & her mom are researching family history while they’re in England, and they discover that one of their ancestors worked at Bletchley Park as a code breaker during WWll.

All in all, this one was a solid 4 star MG read.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were relatable, the duel perspectives were well done, and I love the vastly different settings. The author did a great job of setting the scenes since the settings were so different from each other. All kids can relate to this book in some way and I loved the family and friendships that were present through the whole book.

This sweet story about an unlikely friendship that forms between two girls during a house swap that goes slightly awry at the start is a fun read for middle grades. Allie and Sage present as polar opposites - one is from sunny California while the other is from a small village in England. One is smothered by siblings who always seem to take center stage over her whole the other is an only child questioning why they are on vacation without her father. One is a bit unpredictable while the other is more thoughtful in her approach to life. And yet when they accidentally meet during a house swap (thanks to a sick dog), a plan is hatched to attempt to save a marriage and a fledging friendship is born.

Allie and Sage are likeable characters who readers will relate too and they're storyline is pretty believable. The story wraps up nicely without being too sweet (or unrealistic). Overall, this was a fun middle grade read with some nice supportive storyline.

This latest middle grade realistic fiction by Yvette Clark (Glitter Gets Everywhere) may not end the happily ever after way that readers hope for, but they will surely be satisfied with the ending when it arrives. Allie and Sage live on different continents and have entirely different personalities, family composition and, more importantly to the plot, family dynamics. ELA teachers—Tremendous compare/contrast and character mapping possible with these two girls. A house swap between the English and Californian families is planned, but due to a sick dog, Allie and her mom must stay for a few extra days and share their home with the visiting Sage and her mom. That puts Allie’s dad, brother and younger sister on the beaches of California leaving Allie blissfully without the conflicts that come with siblings and Sage sadly without her working dad and wondering if her parents are looking to make the separation permanent. A plan to reconcile Sage’s parents develops between the two girls. Relatable sibling rivalry, feelings of middle child invisibility, fears about divorce, only child loneliness and more are woven into a fast-moving plot with some comfortable predictability but enough surprises to keep things fresh and engaging. A highly recommended novel for grades 4-7 from an author who, based on her 1st two works, is likely to become as popular with readers as Barbara O’Connor, Joan Bauer, Cynthia Lord, and Lisa Graff. Representation: main characters are clearly Caucasian but races of other key players is indeterminate by descriptions, families are from diverse economic strata but both have enough money to do some travel, two families have very different experiences with divorce and the third family is very traditional. No profanity, sexual content or violence.

Fun families and friends in the making! Gentle content with lots for readers to think about . Promotes good conversations and well as a geography lesson to show what the girls were dealing with in their travels.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Yvette Clark, and the publisher of this book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Allie is from England and dreams of being a spy! Sage is an only child from sunny California and loves stones. Their paths cross when their families swap houses for a summer vacation.
These girls couldn't be more different until they realize they both have one thing in common: family problems. Sage's parents are on the brink of a divorce while middle child Allie is trying to find her place in her family.
The story is told in alternating chapters from the view of each girl.

I loved this story and will definitely purchase a copy of it for my classroom! I think it's important for children to see that even though they are children, they are still important parts of their family and have the right to speak up and have tough conversations about their feelings/concerns.

I recieved a free eARC of this book so I could read it. Thanks for the opportunity.

Sage and Allie's parents have a great idea-they signed up for a house swap. Sage wants to explore her family roots, so comes to Allie's English Cottage. Allie's family is heading to coastal California. Normally, they would never have met, but when Allie's dog gets sick, she and her mother end up overlapping Sage and her mom-and have a chance to compare notes.

This is a sweet middle grades novel about family and problem solving, narrated by two girls who each have their own set of problems and solutions. It's an interesting middle grades read that introduces a bit of history as well, and deserves to be included in school libraries.

I can say with 100% certainty that this book will be a winner with middle grade girls. The cover is fantastic and I'm witnessing more and more kids picking the book with the best cover, even when I try to steer them to a better book with a less appealing cover. Sorry, but the don't judge a book by its cover adage gets completely ignored.

Besides that, the story is different while totally possible. Allie lives in a tiny village in England. She's a middle child between an annoying, older brother and bratty, younger sister. Her house is a cute cottage with a chicken coup. Sage is an only child and lives in a posh beach town in California. Allie's mom sees Sages's house on a house swapping website and the saga begins.

Sage isn't thrilled about going to England when she learns her dad won't be going. She's sure their relationship is on the rocks and she's doing everything she can to keep them together. Allie isn't thrilled about going to American with her annoying siblings, especially when her diary goes missing.

The two girls aren't supposed to meet, but when Allie's dog gets sick right before the trip, she and her mom stay behind until the dog is well. Allie and Sage end up sharing a room for a few days. At first they don't hit it off, but slowly they warm up to each other. They do a little traipsing around the quaint English village, and come up with a plan to get Sage's dad to come to England. Allie is off to join her family in America while Sage carries out the plan.

Great story. Love the characters with distinctly different personalities. Love the developing friendship. Love the premise. Love the surfing scenes in California. Will definitely be purchasing for my library.

Allegra and Sage live on opposite sides of the world and had no chance of ever knowing each other until their families decide to do something out of the ordinary. Allegra's family is looking for a different vacation and decide to take their family to sunny California to learn to surf, while Sage's parents are getting ready to divorce. Sage and her mother are going to England for a vacation and to research family history for a school project. The families decide to switch houses, and the two girls are meet when Allegra and her mother are delayed in their travel plans after the family dog falls ill.

This take on "The Parent Trap" is delightful. I was curious to see how it would all be handled because some major coincidences had to occur for two girls in two different countries to meet, then throw in a divorce, bullying, a middle child who feels neglected and a sick dog? The story came together seamlessly and was very enjoyable, and honestly - very realistically. Many coincidences, but they did not seem contrived to make the story line work. I hope to see this title on some state reading award lists.

Yvette Clark brings her humor and charm to shine on her second novel. The House Swap is told in alternating voices, and both narrators feel distinct and tell stories with strong narrative drive. I love the dual settings of California and England, and the premise plays out in a satisfying, emotional way. Looking forward to more books from this author!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this title.

This book is a neat upgrade to the penpal story. I think a lot of middle grade readers will enjoy this one. I didn't love the Big Lie in this story, but the story itself is worth the read.

This book brought smile after smile to my face. It’s full of clever dialogue, amusing observations, relatable moments, and creative plotting. Yvette Clark moves seamlessly between her two equally-endearing, clearly-different characters, and this book is just so fun and charming while also tackling emotionally-difficult topics like divorce and competition between siblings that will be top of mind for many readers. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Thanks for the author and publisher for access to an advance copy.

A fun and big-hearted book about two families who swap houses for their summer vacation. Watch as Allie learns to share her deepest thoughts and feelings with her family during their trip to California and Sage learns to ask questions and understand her parents' divorce. MG readers will relate to one or both main characters as they navigate fun and hard times throughout the book. Readers will also learn about real WWII spies. I think every MG reader will be inspired to research and learn even more after reading this fabulous book! Great characters and a memorable story!

The House Swap is a delightful dual POV replete with suspense, rivalry, and secrets. 2 families- 1 in England, 1 in US- swap houses for the summer. Unexpected turns of events lead the girls from each family to become acquainted, leading to interesting results. I also like how the author fit in some history!

Sweet and heartwarming book with alternating points of view. Can’t wait to recommend it to my middle schoolers!

“The House Swap” is a realistic fiction middle grade novel by Yvette Clark which is due to be released on February 28, 2023!

I was thrilled to receive an eARC from Net Galley and HarperCollins Children's Books.

“The House Swap” is the story of two girls: Allie from England and Sage from California. Their families switch houses with one another during the summer. As a result, both girls develop an unexpected friendship with each other and each experiences life changing moments.

I think this story is timely, relatable, and I without hesitation recommend this book for middle elementary.

This is a cute kid's version of The Holiday, minus the unresolved romantic drama. I enjoyed the dynamics of both families, and identified with Allie's middle child angst. I thought the sibling spats were well portrayed and realistic. The characters were well developed and showed growth by the end of the story. It was an entertaining and humorous read while also being heart-warming. There was even some educational historical knowledge toward the end. A good, clean middle grade novel with very little in the way of romance or friend drama.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!