Big & Little Questions (According to Wren Jo Byrd)

Starred review from January 16, 2017
Just after her parents reveal that they are getting divorced, nine-year-old Wren Jo Byrd is sent to spend the summer with her grandparents, avoiding messages from her best friend, Amber, and the painful changes back home. Returning for the new school year, Wren finds that Amber has an outspoken and confident new best friend, Marianna. With her friendship in shambles, Wren continues to keep her parents’ divorce to herself, but she soon discovers that secrets have a way of turning into lies. Bowe (the Friends for Keeps series) effectively conveys Wren’s fears and frustrations: “I’m don’t know why I’m the one who has to go away when none of this was my idea,” she confides to her cat, Shakespeare. Wren’s decision to hide her difficulties at home, even as it affects her life on many fronts, powerfully illustrates how deeply upsetting family changes can be. Bowe’s genuine portraits of the key relationships in Wren’s life—with her friends, parents, and even the often-difficult Marianna—make for a warm and rewarding story about dealing with change. Ages 7–9. Agent: Steven Chudney, Chudney Agency.

Youthful-sounding Emily Eiden captures the bittersweet experience of preteen Wren Jo Byrd, who's grappling with the not-so-happily-ever-after ending of her parents' marriage and the growing friendship between her friend Amber and Marianna, the new girl in town. Wren's full of questions: Can two be a family? Which is harder, keeping a secret (in Wren's case, pretending her parents are together) or telling the truth? Eiden sounds believably young when expressing Wren's confusion as she grapples with the pain of divorce without ever sounding maudlin. As the story unfolds, Wren begins to comprehend the sometimes-hidden hurts of those around her. With nuance and compassion, Eiden gently encourages listeners to consider how Wren finds her way through a difficult time. J.C.G. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine