A family divided, a country going to war, and a girl desperate to feel at home converge in this stunning novel in verse.
Selected for Summer/Fall 2020 Indies Introduce List
It's early September 2001, and twelve-year-old Abbey is the new kid at school. Again.
I worry about people speaking to me / and worry just the same / when they don't.
Tennessee is her family's latest stop in a series of moves due to her dad's work in the Army, but this one might be different. Her school is far from Base, and for the first time, Abbey has found a real friend: loyal, courageous, athletic Camille.
And then it's September 11. The country is under attack, and Abbey's "home" looks like it might fall apart. America has changed overnight.
How are we supposed / to keep this up / with the world / crumbling / around us?
Abbey's body changes, too, while her classmates argue and her family falters. Like everyone around her, she tries to make sense of her own experience as a part of the country's collective pain. With her mother grieving and her father prepping for active duty, Abbey must learn to cope on her own.
Written in gorgeous narrative verse, Abbey's coming-of-age story accessibly portrays the military family experience during a tumultuous period in our history. At once personal and universal, it's a perfect read for fans of sensitive, tender-hearted books like The Thing About Jellyfish.---from the publisher
272 pages 978-0823444212 Ages 9-13
Keywords: novels in verse, coming of age, military family, American history, September 11, 9/11, moving, finding yourself, identity, change, friends, friendship, 9 year old, 10 year old, 11 year old, 12 year old, 13 year old
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Other reviews:
“I had never read a book about 9/11 from a child’s perspective that felt ‘right,’ but Abbey’s voice rang true. She is honest about her 12-year-old concerns and how they fit into the national tragedy. This struck a chord with me, as I was 12 on 9/11, too. The attacks ended up profoundly shaping my adolescence, but all I knew at that point was my own existence. I hope Abbey’s story offers strength, understanding, and honesty to readers.”—Sally Morgridge, editor, Holiday House
