Right away in the first scene, it is clear that Maddie May is a young girl that suffers from social anxiety. Her shy nature really presents a problem for her when she witnesses the class bully, Jamie, pulling a potentially harmful practical joke on the teacher. To make matters worse, Jamie threatens Maddie May, forcing her to keep quiet as he transfers the blame to another student. As she sees the blamed student getting into trouble, Maddie May’s conscience begins to trouble her. While seeking a solution to the difficult position she finds herself in, Maddie May’s friend reminds her of a verse in the Bible that tells her to be strong and courageous because God is with her. This gives her the boldness to expose the truth.
For a beginner chapter book, the length and simple word choices are appropriate to early readers, and the storyline was very well developed. However, while this book is written in past tense, it makes frequent use of present tense to show continuous actions, which is either done in error or is a writing style choice that feels very awkward to the reader.
There are so many great lessons for young ones in Maddie May and the Tea Trouble, including coping with shyness, dealing with bullies, telling the truth, and trusting in God. Gina Hutcherson’s book is a wonderful selection for parents that are training their children to rely on God and always do the right thing.
