About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
Description
After a lifetime of New Age “adventures” with her weirdo hippie mom, fifteen-year-old Maddie is realizing a lifelong dream and visiting New York City.
Armed with her 130-item to-do list, Maddie hits the streets of New York with her friend Anna and Anna’s brother, Thomas. Maddie drags her friends around on an epic quest for the ultimate art show outfit, oblivious to the fact that they don’t share her passion for vintage clothing. Three days into the trip, a most unwelcome surprise—the arrival of Maddie’s mother—threatens to derail the entire adventure. As her mother’s obsession with dietary trends and fortune-tellers takes center stage, and everyone’s tempers get thin, Maddie has to face some ugly facts about how she’s been treating her friends.
This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!
Contributor Notes
The Big Apple Effect is Christy Goerzen’s second novel featuring Maddie and her crazy mom. In the first novel, Farmed Out, the two wreak havoc at Anna’s family’s farm. Christy lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband and two children.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 9 to 12
- Grade:
- 4 to 7
- Reading age:
- 9 to 12
Editorial Reviews
"Thanks to the book's convincing teen dialogue and believable characters, readers will identify with Maddie's palpable excitement at her taste of freedom...A quick paced, lighthearted yet insightful romp about a girl and her emotional, quirky, New Age mom...Deftly tackles important issues such as the boundaries of friendship, dangers of self-pity, the value of self-awareness, and the healing power of forgiveness."
— Quill & Quire
"There is complexity in the characters that encourages the reader to reflect on Maddie's critical attitude. This is evident when Maddie takes control of Anna's trip without considering her friend's wishes...While the novel is a sequel to Farmed Out, readers unfamiliar with the previous story will have no problem starting with The Big Apple Effect and will be left hoping for a sequel after a possible love interest and developments in Maddie's art career are introduced late in the novel."
— CM: Canadian Review of Materials
