Rebecca Stead

12 year old Bea's life changed when her parents divorced four years back. The reason: Bea's dad came out as gay. After their amicable split, her parents gifted her a journal entitled "The List of Things That Will Not Change", the first few entries of which reassure Bea that they will always be a family, though not in the same way as before. Yes, things did change a bit, but with time and love, everyone gets accustomed to modifications in their routine. Now, it's time for one more change. Bea's dad wants to get married to his fiancé Jesse. What upheavals will this bring in Bea's life? You've gotta read the book to find this out.

Bea is one of the sweetest and most realistic protagonists I've seen in dramatic children's fiction. As she herself says, she's wears her heart on her sleeve. She's sweet, she's forgetful, she's a big worrier, she's not afraid to punch someone if they deserve it, she's as real as a child can be. You realise that underneath her brave and brash exterior lies an insecure child looking for reassurance and stability. After Auggie (Wonder) and Genesis (Genesis Begins Again), Bea becomes the third fictional child whom I want to give one tight hug.

The book isn't worth reading just for Bea though. All the supporting characters are memorable and loveable. Well, all except one but I can't tell you who.… (altro)

In a Nutshell: A cute little mystery for middle-graders. The library setting and the presence of a friendly book-loving cat adds to the fun.

Story Synopsis:

A mysterious little free library appears overnight in the small town of Martinville. Fifth-grader Evan is mystified, but he takes two books from its shelves. He soon realises that there's something odd about the two titles, and he ropes in his best friend Rafe to help him in his "investigation".
The two boys soon discover that the books are connected to an event that took place two decades ago, but no adult is willing to talk to them about it. What's everybody hiding?
The story comes to us in the third person perspectives of Evan and Mortimer the kind-hearted cat who monitors the little free library among other things, and in the first person perspective of Al the ghost librarian.

(If your interest level didn't jump up at least five notches on reading about Mortimer and Al, you are too old for this book.… (altro)

i think the connecting piece from beginning to end was a little weak, but i can appreciate the sentiment behind it.

as for the rest of the book, i really enjoyed it! it wasn’t amazing, but then again, i’m a 20 year old reading a middle school book. however, i can say the emotion behind it was quite enjoyable. it seemed like a really accurate representation of a child dealing with emotional issues and trauma. i somehow was really happy for this fictional child because she truly had adults in her life that truly cared for her and wanted her to work through the difficulties she faced. i’ve never had divorced parents, but i feel like it would be really difficult even if your parents separated on as great terms as hers. i’m glad she has a good support system. it feels silly talking about that as if she’s a real person, but whatever. happy children make me happy lmao.

overall, i’m glad to have read this and continue to be impressed with the author’s ability to take on a child’s perspective. it’s a strong 4 stars!… (altro)