Tara's Reviews > Rachel Spinelli Punched Me in the Face

When Zach’s mother decides to leave the family, his father decides to abandon a tired Midwestern life behind and begin again in a small Connecticut town. This is a realistic and heartwarming story of Zach’s transition into this new life. Two new friends make life meaningful for Zach – Rachel Spinelli, protective younger sister, and Teddy Spinelli, a highly functioning developmentally delayed high school trumpeteer. Rachel and Zach at times seem younger than 14, but this youngness would make them easier for upper elementary kids to relate with. Themes include death, divorce/separation, adolescence, and friendship. Grades 4-6