Synopses & Reviews
She wished something would happen.
Something good. To her. Checking her wish for loopholes, she found one. Hoping it wasn't too late, she thought the word soon.
Meanwhile, in another part of town, he felt as if the world was opening. Life was rearranging itself; bulging in places, fraying in spots. He felt himself changing, too, but into what?So much can happen in a summer.
Synopsis
Winner of the Newbery Medal - New York Times Bestseller - An ALA Notable Book - An ALA Best Book for Young Adults - School Library Journal Best Book - Booklist Editors' Choice - Kirkus Reviews Editors' Choice - Horn Book Fanfare Book - New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
In this acclaimed, award-winning, and timeless national bestseller, Newbery Medalist Lynne Rae Perkins explores the crisscrossing lives of four teenagers on the verge of adulthood. The unique format incorporates short vignettes, haiku, Q&As, and illustrations by the author. Written with love and humor, Criss Cross is an unforgettable story of friendship, family, and growing up.
"It's hard to write a book this good. Lynne Rae Perkins makes it seem easy."--Kevin Henkes, New York Times-bestselling author of the Newbery Honor Books Olive's Ocean and The Year of Billy Miller
"Brilliantly captures the adolescent-level Zen that thoughtful kids bring to their assessment of the world."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)
"Best of all are the understated moments, often private and piercing in their authenticity, that capture intelligent, likable teens searching for signs of who they are, and who they'll become."--ALA Booklist (starred review)
"Written with humor and modest bits of philosophy, the writing sparkles with inventive, often dazzling metaphors."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Like a lazy summer day, the novel induces that exhilarating feeling that one has all the time in the world."--The Horn Book (starred review)
"A gentle story about a group of childhood friends facing the crossroads of life and how they wish to live it. Young teens will certainly relate."--School Library Journal (starred review)
About the Author
Lynne Rae Perkins immersed herself in Johnny Appleseed's life and times, and her research for this book included a visit to the Johnny Appleseed Education Center & Museum in Urbana, Ohio; hikes through the orchards in Michigan, where she lives; and photos and memories of her husband's family's apple farm in Ontario. The artist also spent an entire afternoon drawing a stuffed wolf at Guntzviller's Taxidermy & Spirit of the Woods Museum, and many hours stitching the sampler that appears in this book. Lynne Rae Perkins is the creator of award-winning picture books, such as Snow Music, Pictures from Our Vacation, and The Cardboard Piano. She is also the recipient of the Newbery Medal for her novel Criss Cross.