CW: Jessica is serving time in jail for manslaughter (car accident that killed her father), another inmate tried to scare a robber with a gun and the kid fled onto the street and got killed by a car

Well that was a thoroughly entertaining and heartwarming middle school novel!

The 'found family' storyline was so sincere and warm and I loved that part of the novel. I really valued Jessica's point of view as her love and hopes for their future pulled at my parent heart strings. Perry was such an open and gutsy kid and his determination to show that his upbringing in a prison was one filled with love and support drove the story forward brilliantly. A great middle school novel! ( )

children's middlegrade fiction (realistic; boy living with incarcerated mom at a low-level prison amongst mostly very nice non-violent criminals)

This cover/title doesn't make me want to read it (but the plot and the author changed my mind). Also, the title is only said once at the end in sort of a passing way and isn't really all that central to the plot--he's not a judge, he doesn't really get to act as a judge, and that's not his key phrase that he repeats every morning.

That said, I enjoyed the small community of prison residents created within the story (however far it might be from the overcrowded prisons we have in our corner of the US), which had as much charm as those small town community stories often have. ( )

This book was very out of the ordinary in terms of subject. Perry's raised in a co-ed correctional facility while his mother is serving time for manslaughter. Perry is a bright and well liked young boy who is friends with everyone. Although his childhood is not like most, his character is relatable and provides readers with the ability to learn about the power of honesty and speaking up for yourself to adults. ( )

This 2020 Nutmeg nominee was a refreshing read! Perry has lived all of his twelve years in prison—not as a prisoner, but as a prisoner's son. It's a minimum security prison that feels like family, he goes to school, and he has Zoey as his best friend. Life is fine until the DA discovers he's living there and not only pulls him out against his will, but puts his mother's parole hearing on hold.

What gets Perry through his days is following an inmate's advice. Big Ed has a motto: Win-Win. "The first 'win' means you count all small good things that happen to you every day . . . The second 'win' means you do things that bring victories to others." There are many positive messages and actions such as this throughout the book. I immediately started applying some of them to my own life and I can see them as useful coping strategies for student readers, too.

But it's not a sickly-sweet book. There is adversity to face and a determined Perry who investigates on his own to help his mother. The prison setting is Surprise, Nebraska, but the biggest surprise might be what Perry discovers about his mom. Add to this the personal interviews the inmates give Perry for a school project, the DA who causes so much trouble and is flawed but ultimately well-intentioned, and realizing that even the school bully might have some redeeming qualities.

There were a few things that were too coincidental and some typos (e.g., Bid Ed instead of Big Ed—where are the copywriters these days?), but the voice drew me in and made it a book hard to put down. ( )

I enjoyed this book, but having read [b: The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle|35008529|The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle|Leslie Connor|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1502092914s/35008529.jpg|56288665] first, I have to admit I was disappointed. Mason Buttle is Newbery worthy and this book is not. It's a good story, but there are too many implausible scenarios, syrupy sweet characters, and lack of grit. I admire authors who bring reality to their books, even childrens' books. Children can handle reality.

The basic plot is this. Perry's mother has been incarcerated in a minimum security prison his entire life and he has been right there with her. Yes, he was raised from birth in a prison. The chance of that ever happening is 0.1%, maybe less. That alone is enough to annoy me, but not enough to knock a star off. I can go with the 0.1%, but then the rest has to be 100% believable. Unfortunately, it all rings false, so 2 stars come off. Yes, this is a minimum security prison, but it's prison, so I don't expect it to be presented like every day is a day at the park. Seriously, where are the crummy people? Where are the guilty people, since everyone is obviously wrongly imprisoned? How does a prison full of all these "upstanding citizens" get 12-15 year sentences? I kind of feel like Connor didn't do as much research as she says she did. If this book had the grit that Mason Buttle had, I wouldn't have all these questions.

Continuing with the plot. Perry goes to school outside of the prison. His best friend is Zoey. She never mentions to Perry that her stepdad is the District Attorney. By mistake, Zoey mentions to her family that Perry lives in the prison. Her stepdad is appalled and gets Perry removed. He isn't all bad though because he does take Perry into his own home. At least Perry gets to live with his best friend, but he'd rather be back with his mom in the prison and all of his inmate friends. D.A. Tom doesn't get a lot of things. He doesn't get that Perry had a great childhood even though it wasn't a typical childhood. He doesn't get that Perry's upstanding behavior indicates a good upbringing. He doesn't listen to Perry or anyone else who can vouch for his happiness. There is a conflict in D.A. Tom's personality that causes him to lose credibility with me. I just don't buy it. Leslie Connor has talent and after reading Mason Buttle I know this book could have been better. I'm looking forward to her next book to see how hard she works to bring forth her best. ( )