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The author was born and raised in Minnesota and spent summers up north at the family cabin, along with countless hours casting and fishing off the dock. Many fond memories of fishing, swimming and listening to loons call at dusk, prompted the writing of this book.
Reading and writing has been important to Jean since childhood, and she thinks that middle grade fiction is some of the best writing published, capturing moments that resonate with life growing up.
Some personal accomplishments are being published in Ladybug Magazine: “Mr. Cat and Little Birdie”, Spider Magazine: “Great-Grandmother’s Secret” and Reading Street 2nd Grade Anthology’s reprinting of “Great Grandmother’s Secret” being in English and Spanish.
Reviewed by Courtnee Turner Hoyle for Readers' Favorite
Saving Gramps is a middle-grade novel by Jean Lejcher. Toby Langford is usually excited about his summer trips to his grandparents' lakeside house. He and Gramps build fires, fish, and call for loons, and Toby spends time with his friend, Cal. Gramps fell in December, so Toby's twelfth summer looks different. Gramps isn't as cognitively aware as he was before his fall, so building fires and fishing are dangerous for him, and he seems to have lost his loon-calling ability. The summer gets worse when Gram talks about selling the house, but Toby vows to reawaken Gramps and save his summers at the lake house.
Jean Lejcher has written relatable characters that will stay in readers' hearts long after the last page. Younger readers may sympathize with Toby as he tries to preserve his summer and heal his grandfather's injury, and older readers will love the nostalgia of youthful summers and simpler pleasures. This book could be a good gift for a pre-teen whose older family member is diagnosed with dementia. Even though Gramps's loss of cognition resulted from an injury, the challenges and caregiving responsibilities between the two are similar. The story also contains a sense of adventure with "mousin'" as a distraction, storms, and a coyote attack. Toby learns a valuable lesson as he selfishly tries to hold on to his summers with his grandparents and adjusts to a new relationship with Gramps. Saving Gramps is a great selection for readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories with strong family values.
