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Benny Ramírez and the Nearly Departed
Benny Ramírez and the Nearly Departed | José Pablo Iriarte
2 posts | 1 read
Get ready to laugh and be inspired in this hilarious and heartwarming story about a boy named Benny who can suddenly see the ghost of his famous musician grandfather! Benny Ramírez has always lived in the shadow of his talented family, including his famous trumpet playing-grandfather, Ignacio. Ready for a fresh start, the family decides to move cross-country into Abuelo Ignacio’s Miami mansion, which they’ve inherited after his death. Benny is soon enrolled in a performing arts school with his siblings, despite having no obvious talent of his own—unless you count seeing the ghost of his grandfather. Abuelo has until New Year’s Eve to right his many wrongs and thinks that helping Benny play the trumpet and become “cool” at school is his ticket into heaven. Benny soon finds himself taking Abuelo's advice on how to be a star and follow in his footsteps, but before long, Benny begins to wonder if his true passions might lie elsewhere. With a New Year's Eve deadline looming, Benny must navigate his own passions, while helping his grandfather cross over to the other side in this unforgettable tale of family, music, and self-discovery.
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sakeriver
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Something I particularly enjoyed about this one is that there isn't really an antagonist, just a family working through some changes and struggles, partly in parallel and partly together. I don‘t read enough middle-grade fiction to know whether this is part of a larger trend in that market segment but I like that there are stories for younger readers that are centered on something besides animus or violence.

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