Synopses & Reviews
From
Clementine author Sara Pennypacker, this is a poignant middle-grade novel about two foster children who must find a way to work together in order to survive.
Eleven-year-old Stella misses her (unreliable) mom, but she loves it at great-aunt Louises house. Louise lives on Cape Cod, where Stella hopes her mom will someday come and settle down. The only problem? Angel, the foster kid Louise has taken in. The two girls live together but theres no way theyll ever be friends.
Then Louise suddenly passes away one morning—and Stella and Angel decide not to tell anyone. Now they have to depend on each other for survival. Now they are forced to trust each other with the biggest secret ever.
With great empathy and humor, Sara Pennypacker tells the story of two very different girls who unexpectedly become each others true family.
Review
“A suspenseful, surprising novel of friendship and family from the creator of the popular Clementine series.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Review
“Beautifully evoked, the novels Cape Cod setting plays a focal role in this richly layered tale of loss, resiliency, and belonging.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Review
“Pennypacker is a Beverly Cleary-caliber girl-whisperer; she can weave a yarn both funny and touching, with all the beloved, timeworn themes at the ready: friendship, family, loyalty, loss and independence.” New York Times Book Review
Review
“Pennypackers marvelously tactile writing animates Stellas narration and brings both engaging, resilient, and resourceful characters to life.” School Library Journal
Synopsis
Secrets and Survival
Stella loves living with Great-aunt Louise in herbig old house on Cape Cod for many reasons,but mostly because Louise likes routines, somethingStella appreciates since her mom is kind of unreliable.So while Mom "finds herself," Stella fantasizes thatsomeday she'll come back to the Cape and settle down.The only obstacle to her plan? Angel, the foster kidLouise has taken in. Angel couldn't be less like hername—she's tough and prickly, and the girls hardlyspeak to each other.
But when tragedy strikes, Stella and Angel must relyon each other to survive, and they learn that they arestronger together than they could have imagined. Andthey discover the one thing they do have in common:dreams of finally belonging to a real family.
About the Author
When Sara Pennypacker was a kid, she thought her parents' job was to keep life dull. She is very much afraid her own children felt the same way about her. Now that she's grown up, she is the author of the acclaimed middle grade novel Summer of the Gypsy Moths; the award-winning, New York Times-bestselling Clementine chapter book series; and the picture books Pierre in Love and Sparrow Girl. She divides her time between Cape Cod and Florida.