Description

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2020
Nominated for the Carnegie Medal

Sonia and I have a lot in common. Our parents are divorced. Our dads are gay. We both love barbecue potato chips. But she is different from me in at least one way: you can’t tell how she’s feeling just by looking at her. At all.

When Bea’s dad and his wonderful partner, Jesse, decide to marry, it looks as if Bea’s biggest wish is coming true: she’s finally (finally!) going to have a sister.

They’re both ten. They’re both in fifth grade. Though they’ve never met, Bea knows that she and Sonia will be perfect sisters. Just like sisters anywhere, Bea thinks. But as the wedding day approaches, Bea makes discoveries that lead her to a possibly disastrous choice.

Making a new family brings questions, surprises, and joy in this brilliant modern classic by Newbery Medalist Rebecca Stead.

Publisher Review

"I have been a huge fan of Rebecca's writing since When You Reach Me, so it's no surprise that her newest book is an absolute original; marvelous, lovely, a story that kids will love." * R. J. Palacio, bestselling author of Wonder * "No author writing today observes young lives with more clarity, tenderness, and grace than the one and only Rebecca Stead." * Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author * "This is a story of love that enlarges, even though it is not always easy. We cheer for and are cheered by Bea's quiet triumphs because they are triumphs of the heart." * Gary D. Schmidt * "Stead is one of my very favourite writers, capturing that moment on the cusp between childhood and adolescence with great clarity." -- Fiona Noble * The Bookseller * "Rebecca Stead's writing is always infused with the tender minutiae of being alive, with the price we have to pay to be human. This book, along with its perfect title, is 'Typical Rebecca Stead.' And that's a heartfelt compliment." * Christopher Paul Curtis * "From the moon, the wedding, and the cake, to Bea's mind, Rebecca has captured everything so completely, so beautifully. Truly a wonderful work." * Patricia Reilly Giff * "My love for this book is something that will never change. Bea, with all her flaws and charms, will find her way into readers' hearts, just as she did mine. Stead truly understands the inner life of kids, very much like Judy Blume-which I consider the highest compliment." * Erin Entrada Kelly *