The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James
by Ashley Herring Blake (Little, Brown & Company, 2019)
Not quite at the same level as Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World—the conflicts are a little more forced, the resolutions more predictable—but still a highly engaging middle-grade exploration of family, friendship, first love and identity. Serious yet gently uplifting.
Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World
by Ashley Herring Blake (Little, Brown & Company, 2019)
A near-perfect middle grade coming-of-age story. Blake approaches the central premise with sensitivity and does so within a wider context of family relationships. The result is a beautifully crafted book—a single-day read that will entrance readers of all ages and orientation.