At-A-Glance
Title: Drive-Thru Miracle
Author: Dana Edwards
Series: None
Release Date: April 12, 2022
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction
Audience: Middle Grade (Ages 8-12)
This book contains: Some instances of lying and mild name-calling, but characters are later shown confessing and seeking forgiveness for their mistakes.
Review
Drive-Thru Miracle is contemporary middle-grade story about an eleven-year-old girl named Mae who has a sister with cerebral palsy. Mae faces changes and challenges at home and within her community that test her emotionally and spiritually.
In the beginning of the story, Meg is struggling with anger, forgiveness, and faith. She clashes with peers and questions the power of prayer, but through the efforts of trying to help those she loves and being confronted with an emergency, she learns God doesn’t always answer prayers the way we expect, and there’s more to others than she sees.
While the story starts slow, it finishes strong. The wonderfully quirky characters and heartwarming moments were engaging, and beautifully balanced the serious topics. Drive-Thru Miracle showcases the power of prayer, grace, and community, and would make a great addition to any classroom or home library.
Storyline
Eleven-year-old Mae Moore is having a horrible birthday week. Her sister, Shelby, had another seizure on account of her cerebral palsy. The school bully won’t leave Mae alone. The adults in her life are having money troubles. And then there’s her secret—the terrible wish Mae made two years ago—that she can’t seem to shake.
Mae needs a miracle, or maybe multiple. But why would God bother to listen to her prayers? Especially when it seems He hasn’t listened in the past? Still, when Mae discovers that one of her closest friends also needs divine intervention, Mae just might step into that miraculous life she’s been longing for after all.
With plenty of adventure and humor to keep readers turning the page, Drive-Thru Miracle is a contemporary middle grade novel that confronts the honest—and sometimes difficult—truths about life with spunk and sincerity. Not shying away from hard topics like disability, bullying, and poverty, Author Dana Edwards weaves Mae’s story with empathy and hope, showing readers that the God of miracles is still working in this world, even if we can’t see it.
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K.A. Cummins 
This sounds like a book to help readers understand both what it is like to have CP, as well as what it is like to live with someone with it. I suspect it is challenging for all of them.
It is. It focuses more on Mae than her sibling, but the story does offer some valuable insights into the family’s experience.
I hadn’t seen this novel before, but its exploration of how both religious faith and hope in general can keep you going amidst challenges seems like it will appear to a lot of young readers. Thanks so much for sharing, K.A.!
I have a niece with CP who would have loved reading about someone like her facing similar challenges when she was younger. And the story about Mae seems to weave a whole lot into her young life, sad to see. Thanks for sharing!
It’s been good to see more books (and movies) coming out that feature people with disabilities. And it’s great how the author of this one handled it, keeping the tone light with little introspection.