"Sensitive, thoughtful story of growing up "
Longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2021
Newbery Medal winner Rebecca Stead writes books that are rich with ideas and acknowledge her readers’ intelligence and intuition. Eight-year-old Bea is the central character in her latest novel, and, typically, there’s lots going on in her life. She divides her time between her mother’s and father’s homes following their divorce and visits a therapist who helps with her anxieties. The story culminates in her father’s wedding to his new partner, Jesse. As ever, we move back and forth in time, and discover much about Bea’s inner life as well as her daily routine in New York. Relationships with family and friends propel the story and there are some real shocks and surprises for readers, plus a gradual understanding of the things that will never change for Bea. It’s beautifully written, a thoughtful, sensitive account of growing up and growing resilience and trust.
Fans of Rebecca Stead will also enjoy Kate DiCamillo’s books and Susin Nielsen’s.
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I liked this book because of the way it was written to gradually drew you in more and more until you were completely enthralled.
This book is about a girl called Beatrice or Bea for short, all Bea wants is a sister to have fun with. After her parents divorce, her dad is going to marry Jesse and she will finally have a sister. I found this book a very interesting read because it starts with a story that her dad told her, about him and his brother standing in a field listening to the corn grow and it continues to reflect upon that tale throughout the whole story. It is a novel that has lots of different meanings hidden beneath the surface such as being honest, accepting who people are and forgiveness. These traits are displayed by different characters throughout the book.... Read Full Review
Overall, I think this is a great book, very well-written and with an engaging storyline.
This is a book about a young girl and her story of having gay dads.
It is an excellent read, it encompasses many of the experiences of having gay dads. The fact that it is written from a child's perspective, accurately displaying feelings (and descriptions of feelings) of children, makes the book very relatable and interesting for young readers. I really enjoyed reading this book, and definitely recommend it to those who want to find out more about gay relationships in a simplified way.
The book also describes some struggles of children whose parents are straight, but simply divorced, e.g moving between houses, or just regular problems of growing up.... Read Full Review
This story is an excellent description of the troubles of modern life as a child.
When I first looked at the title I thought it would be a bit girly. But as soon as I started reading I realised that I'd judged it too soon.
This story is an excellent description of the troubles of modern life as a child and explains that just because someone doesn't agree with your choices doesn't mean you have to change them. Lots of people didn't agree or like the dads' choices but they ignored their opinions and carried on with how they wanted their life to be.
I was also interested to know more about Bea's life when I read how different it was from mine. It gives you a good explanation of how someone whose parents are divorced might feel, which helps you understand what having divorced parents is like. It also lets you empathise if someone you know has divorced parents.... Read Full Review
