“Sometimes you’ve got a story you need to find the courage to tell.”
(Age 10 and up)
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is an exceptional middle grade author. Her powerful and sensitive handling of hard topics has won her awards. Her books are pitched for young readers but can also be enjoyed by adults. Bradley won a 2021 Newberry Honor for this book.
Suki has always taken care of and protected her little sister Della. It wasn’t easy, especially when their mother went to prison and their mother’s boyfriend was left behind to care for them. When bad things happen, they have to escape to safety–fast! Plainspoken foster mother Francine, and a skilled therapist with an unusual helper, bring some stability to the sisters’ lives. And when Della realises she can also begin to stand up for herself and take care of her big sister, things really begin to change for both of them. Ten-year-old Della’s narration gives the story a funny and charming quality that makes it easy to read, even though the topic is sad.
This is a book about trauma and the scars it can leave, which might be triggering for some, but there’s nothing too graphic and the book is also about resilience and healing. It takes courage to write a story about sexual assault, suicide, foster care, meth addiction and homelessness for middle graders, but it is necessary. In this book there are some real and important messages about sisterhood, found family, friendship, and finding strength in oneself.
Two other novels of hers that I’ve loved are The War That Saved My Life and The War I Finally Won. This one was just as heartbreaking and hopeful as those, and they all get full marks from me!
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