"A satisfying ending neatly wraps up this warm story, and Hatke’s occasional line drawings will add appeal for middle-grade readers." -- Kirkus Reviews
"[an]empathic story."--Publishers Weekly
"Within this light novel Hicks unobtrusively includes classroom-friendly features, such as a weekly vocabulary lesson and information about metamorphosis, but these elements don’t interfere with the trajectory of the story line." -- The Horn Book
"Hicks writes with a gentle, sure hand, bringing to life the rural North Carolina setting. Hatke’s expressive illustrations perfectly capture the book’s emotional warmth." -- School Library Journal
