Operation Final Notice

October 1, 2022
Jo and Ronny are neighbors, best friends, and both in a real jam. Though their specific struggles differ, they must work together to successfully squash their fears and meet their deadlines. Josefina "Jo" Ramos is a talented young Mexican American cellist with dreams of star soloist success like her idols Carlos Prieto and YoYo Ma. In fact, her teacher even nicknamed her Jo-Jo Ma, but she has a major hurdle in her way: stage fright. Her neighbor and best friend, Ronny Russo, is a White boy who has serious anxieties of his own. In the wake of his dad's being injured at work, his family has hit hard times financially, lost the town home he grew up in, and now faces scary final notice bills. Fortunately, an opportunity that may help both friends presents itself: a part-time after-school gig helping at a senior living center. For Jo it is a chance to perform in a low-stakes environment to defeat her stage fright, and for Ronny it is a chance to make a little extra money just by being his friendly self and chatting with the residents. With notes of O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" and plenty of winter weather mishaps in the lead-up to Christmas, this is a strong seasonal choice, but the universality of the protagonists' struggles makes this a title with year-round appeal. A well-paced, engaging, heartwarming story. (author's note) (Fiction. 8-12)

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October 1, 2022

Gr 5 Up-Best friends Jo and Ronny have a lot going on. Jo just received an invitation to audition for Maple Hill, a music academy that would help her advance her cello skills, and Ronny found an $878 bill labeled "FINAL NOTICE" for his parents' car. Jo is immediately anxious about her audition; she has never successfully performed a solo. Ronny knew his parents had financial troubles since they moved from their townhouse to a small apartment, but he didn't know it was this bad. A suggestion from their teacher works out in favor of both friends. Jo will perform at The Manor, a home for the elderly, and Ronny will accompany her for moral support. When Jo's first performance goes awry, Ronny grabs the attention of the room while Jo is escorted off the stage. After seeing this display, the community director invites Jo and Ronny back to The Manor three times a week, to get Jo more comfortable on stage while Ronny provides company to the residents. In exchange, they will be paid $500. This starts Ronny down a path to earn the money his parents need. Will Jo and Ronny be able to solve both their problems? Told in alternating perspectives, this sweet middle grade story focuses on friendship, courage, and community. Readers will be rooting for Ronny and Jo the whole way. Both main characters feel authentic, and the story is fast-paced. Landis excellently wraps up the story realistically. Jo is Latinx; the race or ethnicity of other characters is not mentioned. VERDICT A wonderful realistic fiction addition to middle grade shelves.-Lisa Buffi

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 17, 2022
Landis (It’s the End of the World as I Know It) spotlights variations on overwhelm in a feel-good story with Hallmark Christmas movie vibes. Since his father’s workplace injury, seventh grader Ronny Russo’s family has been experiencing financial precarity, and now—according to a letter threatening “legal action”—they might lose their car, which they need for his mother’s job. His best friend Jo Ramos’s impending orchestra school audition also feels like a kind of “final notice”—an essential step toward overcoming performance anxiety and achieving her professional cello-playing dreams. Spurred by post-Christmas deadlines, the neighbors team up to both earn money for Ronny’s family and conquer Jo’s stage fright by entertaining local nursing home residents. But making $878 for a car payment is harder than they realized, and another complication looms: if Jo transfers to orchestra school, Ronny worries that they’ll no longer have each other. A rosy tone and wildly supportive community match the holiday setting, while distinct character voices sell the dual-POV narrative. Cued-white jokester Ronny, who has ADHD and excels in a Learning Support classroom, narrates in run-on sentences sprinkled with humor, while direct yet expressive description from Mexican American Jo matches the lyrical simplicity of her favorite Bach preludes. An author’s note concludes. Ages 8–12. Agent: Lauren Galit, LKG Agency.

November 1, 2022
Grades 4-7 In November of her seventh-grade year, Josefina Ramos receives the letter she's been waiting for: an invitation to audition for admission and a scholarship to Maple Hill Conservatory next year. There's just one obstacle--Jo's severe stage fright. Walking to school, she wants to share the news with Ronny, her best friend, but he's upset about discovering a "FINAL NOTICE" bill, indicating that unless his parents pay $878.36, their car will be repossessed. Both kids confide in each other, and each of them makes a plan with an early January deadline: Jo practices performing solo regularly at a local senior-citizen home, while Ronny earns money helping the elderly residents and doing odd jobs in the neighborhood. From Ronny, Jo, and their friends to their teachers and the senior citizens, the characters are well drawn and convincing. The dual narrative unfolds in alternating first-person chapters, written from Jo's and Ronny's points of view and offering useful insider/outsider perspectives on their challenges and experiences. With increasing tension in each story line, the pace never falters in this involving, uplifting novel.

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