The Newspaper Club by Beth Vrabel

Synopsis:

Shortly after Nellie Murrow, named for one of the fiercest journalists who ever lived and daughter of two (former) newspaper reporters, move to sleepy Bear Creek, Maine, rumors of vandalism and attacks at the only park in town are keeping Nellie saddled to the house.

Some townspeople say the attacks are gang recruitments. Others blame a vagrant spotted on the hiking trails around town. But when Nellie thinks like a reporter, none of those explanations make sense. Something is happening at the park, but what? All of the fake online news and rumors are clouding the real news.

Nellie wants to break the story--and break free from the front yard-but she can't do it alone. She needs a whole club if she's going to start the town's first independent newspaper--The Cub Report. Creating a newspaper from scratch is going to be tough; but for Nellie, making friends is even harder. 

My Thoughts:


Nellie and her mom have just moved to a small town in Maine called Bear Creek. Moving is not the only change in Nellie's life - her mom has stopped being a newspaper reporter and is now writing a novel at home, and her father is in Asia, at least according to Nellie. Nellie is supposed to be instant BFFs with the daughter of her mom's college friend, but instead she decides to follow in her reporter parents' footsteps, and starts a newspaper club.

By recruiting other kids for the club and solving a town mystery that has eluded even the police, Nellie is able to come terms with the realities of her new life. This book deals with grief and loss, as well as a thought-provoking discussion about news and the future of newspapers everywhere.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

The Newspaper Club will be available March 10th, 2020.