Growing up, while I did my share of playing, I was always scheming for ways to make money. Whether it was lemonade stands, yard work, or babysitting, I was always looking to accumulate money, though not for anything in particular.
So, I could really relate to the main characters in Kristene Fields’ Moon Pies and RC Cola at the Rexall. But their story is far richer and more interesting than mine. Below is my review of Moon Pies and RC Cola at the Rexall followed by an interview with the author about her book.
Moon Pies and RC Cola at the Rexall plot summary
Thirteen-year-old John David “Scooter” Finley lives in Florida with his overworked mother, scheming nine-year-old sister, Kiki, and his doting grandparents, Noni and Teeny. His father left years ago, and the family is poor but comfortable. However, they don’t have the money to contribute to a filmmaking contest that Scooter wants to enter. So, Teeny suggests that he mow lawns to raise the money for the contest’s entry fee.
The work is long, hard, and tiring, and at first, Scooter’s customers want to underpay him or even avoid paying at all. Then, Kiki steps in, and she and her friend from school, Chuey, chip in. Kiki’s savvy business sense earns them more customers and more money.
In between, Scooter starts plotting out his film while waiting for the day when he can buy the equipment needed to make it great. But as always, life throws a curveball, and Scooter’s dreams of becoming a filmmaker are threatened, bringing to a head years of family history, drama, and underlying motivations.
The story
Moon Pies and RC Cola at the Rexall is such a deep and complex story with such a simple premise. One of my favorite middle grade tropes is one where kids have to spend their summer working to earn money to buy something they want. Usually, that thing is a toy, electronic, or outfit meant to impress other kids. They’re usually hyper focused on the plot itself and tend to neglect the character relationships and any side plots that help to enrich the story.
Fields is so meticulous about balancing the main conflict with several relevant side quests and family history that make you root for this small business and these two siblings who are as close friends and arch rivals as any real life siblings you’ll meet. The lower-class Florida setting populated with its ultra-religious, yet mostly well-intentioned citizens really sets a very distinct, complex, tone that has its pros and cons.
I love how the book balances the main summer job theme with these life events sprinkled in that really bring it to life in terms of how the Finley family functions and how they come together to give Scooter and Kiki the best experiences they can with the resources they have. In return, the kids are rightfully grateful yet understandably yearn for the things they cannot have, whether that’s the return of their absent father or just to dress more like the other kids at school rather than shop secondhand.
The characters
Scooter is your typical, mouthy 13-year-old who feels a little immature for his age in some ways but also super responsible in others. He is easily annoyed by his family but also recognizes how important they are to him.
Kiki is the typical spunky, take-charge younger sister who is good at manipulating others to do things her way. She infiltrates herself and Chuey into her brother’s business and both makes and breaks it for them all.
Chuey is the strong, nearly silent kid with a heart of gold. Chuey appears to be just along for the ride, one of the many people Kiki knows how to boss around. Yet, his story turns to be just as interesting, if not more so than theirs, a story that’s even deserving of its own spinoff novel.
The adults are equally as interesting and well-drawn, particularly Noni and Teeny. Their mother, Robin, is a labor and delivery nurse who works long hours, yet still finds a way to be present and an active participant in their family life, and she somehow finds time to pull off unexpected surprises for the kids, even if she doesn’t get to enjoy them herself. She does the best with what she has, and the kids ultimately understand and appreciate that.
The message
There are plenty of spoilers that I’m trying to avoid with this book because it’s best enjoyed with as little information as possible going in. There’s sadness but not tragedy. There’s humor but not silliness. There’s sentimentality without sappiness. It feels like a well-made independent movie, small but cinematic and real over sensational.
I want good things for the Finley family. I was aboard from Chapter 1, and though the book ends with unanswered questions, it wraps up in a satisfying way. As for what the title means, that’s all answered within the page-turning text.
My recommendation
I recommend Moon Pies and RC Cola at the Rexall to any reader, young or old, who feels like they’ve been dealt a bad hand and have to struggle to find their success or even those who need a wakeup call to value what they have while still striving for more. Every character struggles in this story, but they also find glimmers of enjoyment in their interests, relationships, and in those rare joyful moments when you get to escape the grind, even if only for the duration of a two-hour movie.
My rating
An interview with Kristene Fields
What was your process for writing this novel? Did you stick to a rigid schedule? Did you plot the story out first, or did you just write as you went?
I am totally a pantser. I tend to jump right into writing the story and keep going until I run into some problem and have to stop (which always happens, because I don’t have a plan).
This book was no different. I had an idea about Scooter and the film contest and there were scenes that just flowed naturally. It wasn’t until I was working on Kiki and Chuey and the missing money that I had to stop and ask myself some questions. I tend to spend a lot of time working through questions I think other people will ask.
As far as my schedule, I usually get an idea for a story, and I set myself an arbitrary deadline to get to the halfway point. I usually work pretty steadily until then. Once I’ve gotten halfway to word count I go back and start revising, fleshing the story out more.
The third pass is about getting to word count, taking out unnecessary or off topic info and streamlining the story. All totaled, it takes about three months to get through a first draft. Most of my stories take at least a year or two from idea to finished book.
This book is about not giving up despite major setbacks. What advice do you have for creative readers who are struggling with their creative pursuits?
Plan and grace. Come up with a plan. A real, concrete, these are actual, tangible things I can do to put this creative pursuit into action. Whether that’s carving out a space to create or setting down a timeline for when you want to start or signing up for a class. Whatever it is, start.
Second, give yourself grace when not all parts of the plan come together. You’re doing something and that’s a start. Allow for the fact not everything may come together all the way. That’s okay. You’re at least doing something.
Are you a big movie buff? What are your favorite movies and/or movie theater experiences?
I love movies. I struggled financially a lot when my children were little, and our one major splurge was going to the movies. We went all the time and saw tons of movies and rented videos back when Blockbuster was a thing.
Even now, I love introducing my grandson to movies that are new to him. I can’t wait until he’s old enough to see E.T., because there’s so much wonder and room for amazingness in that movie. I made a conscious choice to have that be Scooter’s favorite movie because it’s all about what happens when you open yourself up to the possibility of that thing we don’t know.
My favorite movies though are the ones that make me cry, yes I’m talking to you Steel Magnolias and My Girl. I also absolutely love a good psychological thriller. One where the ending just comes out of nowhere and blows you away like Get Out or Red Dragon. I love when I’m freaked out completely.
The title has a very personal meaning to the characters in the book which I won’t spoil, but in a literal sense, what is your relationship to moon pies and RC Cola?
So, this is a southern book and I grew up in the south. My mother worked a lot too, and my siblings and I spent our time with my grandmother. She was the organist at the church and after choir rehearsal she would take us to this little free-standing shop called Skinner’s Dairy that had just the best ice cream and milk and yogurt and get ice cream for home, but we’d get a moon pie and an RC Cola to drink on the way home. At the repass after her funeral, the pastor’s son and I were talking about how much he loved getting a ride home with us after rehearsal because it meant Skinner’s and Moon Pies and RC Cola.
The characters have such distinct voices and such realistic dialogue. Did this come naturally, or did it develop as you wrote each draft of the book?
As I said, this is a southern book and I was born and raised in the south, so there is a rhythm and feel to language in the south and southernisms and I got to use quite a few of those with Otis in the salvage yard. Still, as I wrote I just got more into the feel and sound of the characters and what they would say in certain situations, and I found myself laughing at parts or saying how something sounded just like a character. That was really my goal.
The novel takes place in Florida where you write in your author bio that you live. Were you inspired by any particular areas, or do you have any Easter eggs in the book that are inspired by a real life setting, event, or person?
There is a little town called Lawtey between Jacksonville and Gainesville that you get to on the 301, but none of the places listed in it are real. There is the UF hospital in Gainesville, but I made up all of the places in it, and the mall they go to for shopping is in Jacksonville and it’s a pretty big outdoor mall that is absolutely insanely crowded for back-to-school and Christmas.
But it’s typical of any outdoor mall. Everywhere else in the story is completely made up and not specific to anyone or anything.
Do you have a favorite character?
Okay, I’m going to punk out here and list the three kids for different reasons. I love that Kiki is so ridiculously smart and resourceful while still being an absolutely naïve nine-year-old who knows so little.
I love how Chuey is so protective of his family, even at the expense of his friends. And how I could just see Scooter as an adult raising his children with the values Noni instilled in him and not realizing until he has children of his own how much he had as a child and wanting his children to have that too. They’re really fun kids.
What’s next for you?
Oh man, I’m working on a cozy murder mystery right now. It’s got a Hallmark type vibe but with black people. I’m excited about it.
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