The Memory Keeper by Jennifer Camiccia

The Memory Keeper Reviews

• 
  Darla

  Three things I loved about this book: 1) All the brain and memory facts woven into the narrative with a bonus brain diagram at the beginning. 2) Family is valued in words and deeds. 3) The addition of Russian language and a bit of culture. This book is on the short list for the Missouri Mark Twain Award and I am glad that will put this book in the hands of thousands of middle grade kids who may also have a grandparent who is struggling with Alzheimer's.
• 
  Kathy Iwanicki

  Very sweet story of a girl and her grandmother. Lulu remembers everything while her grandmother is beginning to forget things. Interwoven brilliantly in this story is information about the brain and how it works. Very clever! This book will make an awesome addition to a classroom library.
• 
  Lana

  I wish I had read this book sooner as I love stories with a strong grandmotherly character. Lulu lives with her family which includes her grandma. She is very close with her grandma who begins to struggle with memory problems. This is something I am going through with my own mother currently, and I think it’s a great topic for MG readers. I thoroughly enjoyed this MG! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster.
• 
  Naomi Milliner

  This beautiful, heartfelt MG debut by Jennifer Camiccia is as luminous as its cover. At its center is the always heartwarming, and sometimes heartbreaking, relationship between the young heroine and her beloved grandmother. It will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
• 
  Jacqueline Firkins

  This was a sweet and love-filled story that's part mystery, part history, and part coming of age tale about a girl who learns a few complexities regarding family and friendships. The central relationship between Lulu and her grandmother follows a lovely arc about exchanging memories, handing them off so they can be delivered back when the initial narrator no longer recalls the details. It shows what the young can offer the old simply by listening and caring. It's a powerful lesson for a middle grade audience. My favorite element in the book was the chapter start motif that provided snippets of information on brain function. Though the novel is propelled by Lulu's drive to learn about her grandmother's past, the scientific details add texture to her search and give her voice an intellectual quality. It merges well with the emotions that take the forefront in the rest of the prose. We also get a friendship story, a family dealing with grief and depression, and the tiniest flutter of a nascent romance. And the cover is gorgeous!
• 
  amelia

  The book was great, I loved it. It teaches about a girl and her grandma who never gave up hope. There were a lot of ups and downs but a lot of good lessons learned. I definitely recommend it.
• 
  Belles Middle Grade Library

  This was amazing! Such a great summer mystery type read, with family & friendship at its core. Each chapter(besides chapter 1 which is titled the type of memory our MC has, chapter 2 that is just titled “The Brain”, & the last chapter which is “Lulu’s Journal)is titled a part from our brain. Then the 1st paragraph of that chapter explain what that part does, & usually our MC explains how it relates to memories. I learned so much about the brain alone reading this! I LOVED that. A diagram of the brain is even at the beginning of the book! There’s apparently SO much I don’t know, & that just makes me eager to learn more. There’s history to this story as well, with what our MC Lulu uncovers about her Grandma’s past. Everything about the mystery of her past, & the journal, etc. was so intriguing & just fascinating to me. Hooked me. Plus the history of the world the Grandma was living in during that time, & what her country,but especially what she, went through. So many important themes & relatable issues in here. Such as not fitting in, feeling “different” in some way like an outsider, family secrets, child loss(& what it can then do to a family), divorce, feeling invisible, how important some grandparents become in some kids lives, & Alzheimer’s. There’s just so much GOOD in here. Engaging writing, thought provoking, amazing pace, & incredible characters. I love the friendship between Lulu & Olivia. Especially how much closer this mystery brings them, & helps Lulu realize that she can really count on Olivia. That she won’t think she’s “too weird” because of her memory, & stop being her friend like she thought before. Also, Olivia shows her that just because someone is always smiling acting like everything is great-that isn’t always the case, & we should always check to make sure our friends are ok no matter the outside appearance. Then the friendship that forms between Lulu, Max, & Olivia as they team up to solve the mystery. Again, Lulu learns that appearances don’t always mean what they appear. Max’s smirk, for example, wasn’t what she thought at all. She misjudged him over & over, & he ended up becoming a great friend. The core feeling of this story is family. Wanting to be seen & loved by family, wanting to protect the family that DOES see you & love you, & feeling powerless sometimes as well. Life basically. Such an amazing read. HIGHLY recommend. STUNNING cover by Aveline Stokart too.💜
• 
  Tamara

  Lulu just wants her parents to notice her but she doesn't want her parents to notice that her Gram is forgetting things like where she parked the van. Lulu has Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM) and the only person who knows is Gram. Each chapter is named for a function of the brain with a little bit on what it does, and I thought that was a cool way to educate the reader on the many wonderful attributes of our brain! Lulu is trying to find out how she can keep her Gram at home while learning who this mysterious Yakov/Jacob is and what is his connection to her Gram is exactly.
  
  Towards the end, Lulu finds out her parents do still love her, and that their struggle with losing Lulu's baby sister, Maisie doesn't affect their love for her. Her Mom does make an effort towards Lulu and tells her how important she is to her. She even admitted that she was feeling blue, and it seemed to validate how Lulu was feeling when she lost her sister too. I was endeared to the themes of family, strong friendship, courage, and learning that her HSAM doesn't make her less lovable.
• 
  Nick

  This book is geared toward an older person. I don’t understand why it’s in the elementary school category. I do like the details regarding how the brain works. I liked the suspense too. But, the book is too deep for kids. In my opinion.
• 
  Gail Shepherd

  This touching story of a girl's quest to learn the truth of her grandmother's mysterious origins will be beloved by middle grade readers, and is particularly good for STEM tie-ins. Lula has HSAM, or Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, which means she can remember every day of her life in striking detail. Meanwhile, her grandmother appears to be losing her own memory, perhaps because she is suppressing an early trauma. Lulu's spunkiness and grit shine in this engaging debut novel, as she navigates boy and girl friendships, family secrets, and her family's buried grief over the death of a sibling. Each chapter begins with interesting facts on a facet of the human brain tied to a particular challenge Lulu is dealing with. Imaginative, heartfelt, and highly recommended. Note: I read an Advance Readers Copy provided by the publisher.
• 
  Sophie

  **Note: This review is spoiler-free**
  
  I loved the family dynamics in this story. Lulu’s family wasn’t perfect but they were real. Her father was a professor who worked a lot; her mother was an artist who spent days cooped up in her home studio. While Lulu grew distant from her mom and dad in recent years, she was closest to her Gram, who looked after both her and her baby brother. When Gram began to lose her memory, Lulu thought that there could be one traumatic memory in her past that was responsible for her Gram’s forgetfulness. She embarked on a hunt for her Gram's past with her two friends, Olivia and Max.
  
  I loved Lulu who was intelligent, resourceful and brave. She and her friends certainly formed an unstoppable trio when it came to solving mysteries. I loved reading about Lulu and Olivia’s friendship which had their ups and downs, and it was fun to read about Lulu and Max who became good friends over the course of the story. Gram was the highlight of the story. Not only was she the caregiver for Lulu and her brother, she also had a childhood of her own, and a life that was filled with joy and sadness.
  
  Throughout the story, I was swept along with Lulu, Olivia and Max’s adventure to find out Gram’s past. I had an inkling of suspicion where things would end up at the end, but it didn’t stop me from wanting to turn the pages because I was invested with the amazing cast of characters.
  
  Although dementia is a heavy topic, I appreciate that this story approached it with an upbeat and playful vibe while handling it with sensitivity. I loved the ending of the story, which felt so heartfelt and real.
  
  The Memory Keeper was a story that made me laugh and cry. Lulu and her family would stay in my mind long after I’ve turned the last page. Whether you are a middle grader, a teen, or an adult (like me!) I would definitely recommend this book!
• 
  Julia

  I'd never heard of this book until yesterday, when my mom brought it back from the library. It came out earlier this year, and it was pretty good.
  
  
  CONS OF THE MEMORY KEEPER
  
  There's mention of divorce in this book, because one of the side character's parents are probably going to get one. It's dealt with in a way that shows that it's bad, which was good, but I thought I'd mention that.
  
  There's a lot of lying in this book. It's portrayed in a way that seems to make it okay. There also was a lot of sneaking into other people's computers, using other people's phones, and just general things that didn't exactly make the characters great role models.
  
  
  PROS OF THE MEMORY KEEPER
  
  I've always wanted to write a book about a character with amnesia, so I was pretty interested in this book. I found it interesting to also read about someone with perfect memory.
  
  It's also kind of educational; every chapter starts with a tidbit of knowledge on the brain.
  
  The font was big, so it was a nice read that was quick to get through.
  
  I actually couldn't tell exactly how the story was going to end. That means that it was a really well-written mystery.
  
  The cover looks pretty cool.
  
  
  OVERALL
  
  I enjoyed this book. There was a little bit of content that would make me say that younger readers should probably wait on it (such as abuse) but other than that, it was a pretty great story.
• 
  Michelle Kidwell

  The Memory Keeper
  by Jennifer Camiccia
  
  Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing
  
  Aladdin
  
  Children’s Fiction
  
  Pub Date 15 Oct 2019
  
  I am reviewing a copy of The Memory Keeper through Simon and Schuster’s Children’s Publication/Aladdin and Netgalley!
  
  Lulu Carter is different from other girls her age she has a rare condition called HSAM which means she remembers most all the details of her life, but it does not bring her popularity in school and her parents are off in their own world so she doesn’t get much recognition from them.
  
  Gram is the only one who knows about Lulu’s Memory and loves her all the more for it. Gram has started to become absentminded and the more lost she gets the more she finds herself depending on Lulu…But Lulu soon realizes that her HSAM may be the key to helping her Gram. Once Lulu learns that trauma can cause amnesia, all she needs to do to cure Gram is hunt down that one painful moment in Gram’s life.
  
  Olivia digs into her Gram’s mysterious past. But they soon begin to realize that some secrets need to stay buried. Lulu starts to wonder if she ever truly knew her Gram. It’s up to Lulu to uncover the truth before the only person who truly sees her slips away.
  
  I give The Memory Keeper five out of five stars!
  
  Happy Reading!
• 
  Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book*

  The Memory Keeper by Jennifer Camiccia, 352 pages. Aladdin, 2019. $18.
  
  Language: G Mature Content: G Violence: G
  
  BUYING ADVISORY: EL – ADVISABLE
  
  AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
  
  Ever since Lulu’s little sister died her mother has been a hands-off parent. Her live-in grandmother has been her rock. But she's been forgetting important things lately and Lulu doesn’t want her parents to find out. To help her grandmother remember, she begins recording stories about her past, and "borrows" her childhood journal to fill in the blanks. The journal, written in Russian, brings more questions than answers. Along with her two friends, she begins an investigation to uncover the truth about her grandmother's past, including a Russian mystery man.
  
  The bright pink cover with the Golden Gate Bridge will grab kid’s attention. Kids will find a likeable character in Lulu, especially because she loves her grandmother so much. The author gives excellent examples of how Alzheimer’s disease affects memory and puts people into harmful situations. Kids who like a mystery will appreciate the grandmother’s hidden past and Lulu’s determination to uncover it.
  
  Reviewer: Valerie McEnroe, MLIS
  
  https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
• 
  Afoma (Reading Middle Grade)

  The Memory Keeper is an engaging middle-grade debut from Jennifer Camiccia. This novel features a character with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, a grandparent dealing with the onset of Alzheimer’s, and a parent recovering from depression. Yet, it manages not to be a downer. With an impressively woven mystery and a trio of adventurous, smart kids, this book is a thrilling read.
  
  I’d highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves science, mysteries, and stories about strong bonds between grandparents and their grandchildren. It’s perfect for fans of Tae Keller’s
  The Science of Breakable Things and Meg Medina's
  Merci Suárez Changes Gears.
  
  Read
  my full review on my blog.
• 
  Christina

  Highly superior autobiographical memory, HSAM for short, is almost a blessing and a curse for twelve-year old Lulu Carter—she can distinctly remember wonderful moments with her parents before tragedy struck the family, but is now feeling disconnected from them as they deal with their grief. She spends most of her time with her beloved Gram who truly sees her, but is becoming more and more forgetful. THE MEMORY KEEPER by Jennifer Camiccia is a heart-wrenchingly beautiful story that follows selfless and brave Lulu as she uses her HSAM to figure out why (and how) to solve Gram’s absentmindedness. Along with her two equally adventurous friends, Olivia and Max, they begin investigating Gram’s younger years and uncover strange, concerning information adding an air of mystery Gram’s past. As an introduction to every compelling chapter, Jennifer Camiccia presents fascinating and concise facts about the functions of each part of the brain to seamlessly bring the reader further into the complexities of Lulu’s memory and the breakdown of Gram’s. THE MEMORY KEEPER is an emotional journey of love, family, and healing that captured my heart—a touching story that I won’t soon forget.
• 
  Kathleen Guinnane

  Lulu can remember everything that's ever happened to her. Her memory is perfect. Unfortunately, her grandmother is beginning to forget things. Lulu is covering for her because Gram is the one person Lulu knows she can rely on and she doesn't want her parents to put Gram into a nursing home. In covering for her Gram, Lulu uncovers a secret. Her Gram is from Russia, not France, which is the story her dad and she had been told. Why had Gram lied about this? Lulu's friends believe Gram might be a spy. Lulu isn't worried about Gram being a spy, she wants to find the bad memory that might help Gram get better if she just faces it. This is a wonderful story of love, family, friendship, and being there for people when they need it the most.
• 
  The Marvelous Ms. Kaia

  Superb book that was so well written and taught me so many things about the brain. Lulu Carter loves her Grandma more than anything, because her Grandma is the only one who understands her. She had a HSAM memory, which means she remembers everything (photographic memory times 5). However, when her Grandma starts forgetting things, Lulu tries to discover more about her past so she can cure her. Throughout all kinds of plot twists, Lulu learns that something’s can’t be cured, and her Grandma’s life was more than she had ever though it to be. The story was full of plot twists that I hadn’t expected, and definitely deserves to win the Caudill award next year. I’m not sure if the author has since written more books, but if she has I’ll be reading them.
• 
  Emily Martin

  Wow! When I first opened this book I didn’t think I’d love it. It started with a little science about the brain and memory, but it quickly became a page-turner. I wanted to know the secrets of Lulu’s gram and was taken in by the bond of family love.
  My children had a grandfather who developed Alzheimer’s (my husbands father) so it was an emotional book for me also. I cried sad and happy tears. It was a great book about friendship and family. 💛📚
• 
  Angie Quantrell

  I learned so much about the brain in this book! Don't let that make you feel like this is a text book. Not at all. But I loved how each chapter started with the name of a part of the brain and how it works. This tidbit then tied in to the chapter and what was going on with Gram, Lulu, her friends, and family. The Memory Keeper is a great book to read, full of mystery, intrigue, secrets, Alzheimer's, and special brains. Oh so many more wonderful details, but you will have to read it to discover them. Lulu is on a quest to find the traumatic event that is impacting her Gram's memory so she can help her. Check out The Memory Keeper and read this touching and well-written story.
• 
  Mary Louise Sanchez

  The brain and memory are intertwined in this story because the main character, Lulu, has HSAM (Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory), while at the same time, her beloved grandmother is gradually losing her memories. Lulu believes that delving into her grandmother's past, she can uncover a traumatic event her grandmother experienced and use it to halt the loss of memory.
  
  I loved how each chapter described a part of the brain and tied its function to the plot and emotions at hand in the story. For a quick review of the brain, it would be handy for these short brain descriptions to be printed together.
• 
  Yapha

  There are many books about tweens dealing with a grandparent's memory loss or the beginnings of Alzheimer's/Dementia. This one is set apart in two ways. First, Lulu herself has an issue with her memory, though it is quite the opposite. She has Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM) which means she can remember every minute of every day of her life with complete accuracy. Second, her grandmother has some deep mystery from her past that is beginning to surface as her memory declines. With the help of her two good friends, Lulu hopes to figure out her grandmother's past in order to save her grandmother's future. Recommended for grades 4 & up.
• 
  Nikki Barthelmess

  This engaging MG debut by Jennifer Camiccia centers around the relationship between Lulu, who has the kind of memory that makes her able to remember everything that's ever happened to her, and her grandmother, who Lulu fears is slipping away as she loses her memory. To help bring Gram's memory back, Lulu and her friends try to uncover her grandmother's secrets about a life they never knew she had. Surprising, tender, and funny, this story will be one readers remember for a long time after turning the final page.
• 
  Dana Middleton

  I was lucky to get an advanced copy of THE MEMORY KEEPER by Jennifer Camiccia, and once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. The book is about the brain and memory on the surface, but it's really about keeping the connection to those we love. As Lulu's devoted gram loses her memory, Lulu delves into her grandmother's past and discovers that things aren't what they seem. Completely absorbing. Highly recommend.
• 
  Debi

  This was an enjoyable read that would be great for middle grades. The cover looks like it could be for younger readers, but the vocabulary and certain Siri actions would be more suited to older readers. The story was touching, and I really loved the connection Lulu had with her grandmother. There’s a great lesson about communication in this book.
• 
  Laura Namey

  I loved this poignant, emotional mg debut. The front matter bits about the brain worked perfectly with the story and the mystery unfolded in a meaningful way. Rich characters, wonderful lessons, and spectacular prose— a win!