Bea was eight when her parents divorced. To help her navigate the various changes in her life they gave her a notebook containing the list of things that will not change. The most important things are at the top of the list – we love you, we still love each other, we are still a family. The list becomes Bea’s touchstone as she grows up and she makes additions to the list as her life unfolds.
Now twelve years old, Bea reflects on the tumultuous year she turned ten. She splits her time between the two New York apartments of her Mum and Dad. She is excited about the upcoming wedding of her Dad and his boyfriend, Jesse. Bea loves Jesse and she also loves the idea of her family expanding. She will finally get a sister – Jesse’s daughter, Sonia. But will this new relationship meet her expectations of sisterly bonds?
Bea is a worrier, a bad speller, a Star Trek fan and a loyal friend. She loves dancing by herself in her bedroom, Rocco the dog, Red the cat and running hot water on her eczema. She dislikes spelling tests every Thursday, lunch parties for spelling experts, being asked things twice and putting cream on her eczema. She is insightful and brave, even though she wrestles with self-doubt and other fears.
Bea is surrounded by loving, caring adults who support her wisely. Miriam, who Bea sees weekly for counselling, offers excellent tools for Bea to use – new ways of thinking, new perspectives and fresh strategies for coping with her worries. The tools and strategies will resonate with readers of all ages and could be a useful discussion point. There are themes in this book about becoming more resilient, managing your own emotional responses, looking for joy and practicing gratitude that seem especially pertinent right now.
Many threads of the story come together on the wedding day. Will the strength of family ties and love shine through?
Rebecca Stead is a Newbery Award-winning author – a New York native who speaks the language of the city and brings a distinctive voice to Bea. Rebecca has been inspired to write children’s fiction by her own children, by the books she loved as a child and by her own experience of living in two NYC homes, as the child of divorced parents.
I hope Rebecca Stead imagines more of Bea’s stories, as I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging character, her flaws and her strengths. I would recommend this book for readers 12+ and their parents. It would be an excellent book to read separately but discuss together.
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