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Reviews for TINY INFINITIES

"While the innovative situations keep this plot moving, it's the character portrayals that shine... [Alice and her friends'] personal growth is seamlessly woven into a story that is as smoothly lyrical and full of ordinary wonder as it is realistic." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“This is a very beautiful book, touching on themes of mental health, family relationships, friendships and love. Alice is a very likable protagonist with whom we find great empathy…Her relationship with Piper is both touching and convincing, with a rare condition handled in a sensitive and thought-provoking way. A gentle and memorable read.” - Book Trust

"From her kindness to children with challenges, to her learning to recognize true friends when she finds them, all the way to her coming to see that parents are just people, too, Alice's story is a deftly told Middle Grade tale about learning to accept change."

- Marzie's Reads

"Brave Alice sets up a Renaissance fair tent in the backyard one summer and refuses to take it down until her dad comes home.

..this is a wonderful middle-grade novel for kids dealing with their parents’ breakup. Alice is a resourceful swimmer and compassionate babysitter who comes to life in a novel filled with compelling details and complex characters who’ll steal your heart. In Tiny Infinities, you’ll find a character and story that finds grace and humor in the midst of difficulty." - Reader's Digest

"J.H. Diehl's new book is a nearly perfect middle school coming of age story. It's about understanding the difference between perception and reality and the sad realization that things don't always work out the way we want. But sometimes there is a little magic in the world, and things can turn out right after all. Recommended." - Bookish Adventures

"Diehl's thought-provoking story about complex family and friendship dynamics features a unique and memorable cast of characters." - Horn Book Guide Reviews

"A well-paced and inspiring story of family and friendship reminiscent of the kind by Katherine Applegate and Lauren Myracle.” —VOYA

"Diehl has a lovely writing style and wastes no time getting readers on Alice's side." - Kirkus Reviews

"Lush, layered, and languidly paced . . . this is a keenly perceptive and nuanced story awaiting just the right reader." - Booklist

"The nostalgia and heat of the summer will keep you thinking about this book long after you're done." - Woman's Day

"Tiny Infinities by J.H. Diehl is an extraordinary and unflinchingly honest book...[It is] both meaningful and memorable, and the lessons that Alice learns in one transformative summer are universal. Diehl's characters will live on in readers' minds long after finishing the book."- Foreword Reviews

"A coming of age story that explores family dynamics related to changing relationships, what it means to believe in yourself and your own strengths, and the role friends can play in helping you look at the world in a new way." -Mother-Daughter Book Club

"13-year-old Alice has been struggling to hold her family together since her mother's car accident a year ago, but now it seems she's failed: at her mother's request, her dad is moving out and her twin brothers are going to stay with their aunt. To distract herself, she focuses on her swim team goals — until she develops an unexpected connection with a little girl next door, Piper, who doesn't speak. But when Alice hears Piper say a word one night, she becomes determined to prove she's telling the truth. Both funny and thoughtful, this novel explores responsibility, family, and friendship — and how they intertwine.” A Mighty Girl

"Tiny Infinities is not only chock full of truths, but it’s funny and hopeful... Diehl, a former swim mom and veteran of the MCSL world, gets the tiniest details of summer swimming right: the cheers that make no sense, the way the light hits the water at 6:30 a.m., coaches donning crazy costumes, the politics of sharing a lane, the extended All Star season, the minutiae of the MCSL relay rules, the swim team banquet awards, and more. From these details emerge the larger truths about summer swimming, sports, and life. . . A beautifully crafted novel." - Novelist Michelle Brafman, ReachForTheWall.org

"This charming story relates what it is like to feel alone in an ever-changing, uncontrollable world." Oneta Reading Journal