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"By turns heartbreaking and heartwarming—exactly like real life. Julie Bowe takes on the tough questions about what it means to be honest, to be a good friend, and to be a family, and offers answers that, while not always easy, are always true."—Linda Urban, author of Weekends with Max and A Crooked Kind of Perfect
"Bowe so masterfully took me inside the head and heart of Wren Jo Byrd that I felt like a ten year old again—and loved every minute."—Barbara O'Connor, author of How to Steal a Dog
It's the start of a new school year and Wren Jo Byrd is worried that everyone will find out her parents separated over the summer. No one knows the truth, not even her best friend, Amber. When even her new teacher refers to her mom as Mrs. Byrd, Wren decides to keep their divorce a total secret. But something else changed over the summer: A new girl named Marianna moved to town and wants to be Amber's next bff. And because of her fib, Wren can't do anything about it. From take-out dinners with Mom to the tiny room she gets at Dad's new place, nothing is the same for Wren anymore. But while Marianna makes everything harder at first, Wren soon learns that Marianna once had to ask many of the same questions—the big ones, as well as the little ones—that Wren is asking now.
Set in Wisconsin, with wonderfully nuanced characters—from the bossy new girl, who acts big but has a secret of her own, to the sporty girl who acts little and shy but who becomes an unexpected friend—this is a book about much more than divorce.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
March 21, 2017 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781524750077
- File size: 120699 KB
- Duration: 04:11:27
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 580
- Text Difficulty: 2-3
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Reviews
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Starred review from January 16, 2017
Just after her parents reveal that they are getting divorced, nine-year-old Wren Jo Byrd is sent to spend the summer with her grandparents, avoiding messages from her best friend, Amber, and the painful changes back home. Returning for the new school year, Wren finds that Amber has an outspoken and confident new best friend, Marianna. With her friendship in shambles, Wren continues to keep her parents’ divorce to herself, but she soon discovers that secrets have a way of turning into lies. Bowe (the Friends for Keeps series) effectively conveys Wren’s fears and frustrations: “I’m don’t know why I’m the one who has to go away when none of this was my idea,” she confides to her cat, Shakespeare. Wren’s decision to hide her difficulties at home, even as it affects her life on many fronts, powerfully illustrates how deeply upsetting family changes can be. Bowe’s genuine portraits of the key relationships in Wren’s life—with her friends, parents, and even the often-difficult Marianna—make for a warm and rewarding story about dealing with change. Ages 7–9. Agent: Steven Chudney, Chudney Agency. -
Youthful-sounding Emily Eiden captures the bittersweet experience of preteen Wren Jo Byrd, who's grappling with the not-so-happily-ever-after ending of her parents' marriage and the growing friendship between her friend Amber and Marianna, the new girl in town. Wren's full of questions: Can two be a family? Which is harder, keeping a secret (in Wren's case, pretending her parents are together) or telling the truth? Eiden sounds believably young when expressing Wren's confusion as she grapples with the pain of divorce without ever sounding maudlin. As the story unfolds, Wren begins to comprehend the sometimes-hidden hurts of those around her. With nuance and compassion, Eiden gently encourages listeners to consider how Wren finds her way through a difficult time. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
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