From You to Me

March 1, 2018

Gr 5-8-In the three years since her older sister Clara drowned in the town lake, everyone in Amelia's life seems to have coped and moved forward. Despite caring parents and a patient BFF Taylor, Amelia still feels isolated and adrift. A school mix-up provides her with a catalyst for change when Amelia is mistakenly given Clara's eighth grade to-do list instead of the one Amelia wrote for herself. Amelia's mission to overcome her own sadness by completing her sister's list provides the novel's structure; what Amelia learns about herself, her family, and her community provide the novel's heart. The list leads Amelia to reach out to Twitch, a boy who knew Clara well and whose easygoing demeanor masks heartaches of his own. Taylor and Twitch are compelling supporting characters: Taylor is an ideal friend without being idealized. But it's Twitch readers will remember for his modest courage, sharing with Amelia his perspective on coping with adversity: "We are all whiteboards that can be covered in terrible words, erased and re-covered in better words." In an economical use of language, Holt paints an authentic portrait of what it's like to live in a small town. VERDICT More than a recovery-from-grief story, this is also a powerful coming-of-age novel. Readers will be moved and inspired. A great addition to middle grade and middle school collections.-Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2018
Amelia Peabody's older sister, Clara, died in a boating accident three years ago, a tragedy that still has Amelia in the clutches of deep grief.On the first day of eighth grade, Amelia finds a letter Clara wrote to herself on her own first day of sixth grade. It's not any letter to her future self, however--it's a list of all the things Clara will accomplish by the time she reaches eighth grade: be nicer to Mom, make the softball team, ask Billy to a dance, throw a fabulous birthday party on the lake, and plan the most unforgettable eighth-grade prank their small town has ever seen. Sadly, Clara only completed one task, because she died during that party on the lake. Maybe finishing the tasks for Clara will alleviate Amelia's pain. Amelia's unrelenting heartache over the loss of her sister is never over-the-top; she's a steady, reliable narrator whose life is a realistic balance of humor and sadness. Amelia's "What would Beyonc' do?" approach to life is admirable, but repeated references to the pop star may eventually date the book; however, the themes of loss and recovery are timeless. All characters seem to be white by default.A book for anyone who's lost someone close, and to instill a sense of empathy in those who haven't. (Fiction. 8-13)

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April 1, 2018
Grades 4-7 It's been three years since Amelia lost her older sister, Clara, but all too often it still feels like yesterday. On the first day of eighth grade, Amelia receives a shocking surprise at school: not the letter she wrote to her future self, but the one Clara did, containing a list of things Clara wanted to do before the end of middle school: making the softball team, asking Billy to the dance, planning an epic eighth-grade prank, and so on. Amelia takes it upon herself to complete Clara's list, which Clara herself was never able to do, in the hopes of learning more about her sister and challenging herself. In Holt's slender, emotional prose, Amelia's grief is palpable, and her fear of the lake, where Clara died, provides a strong undercurrent. Secondary characters, both juvenile and adult, provide emotional support for Amelia and add depth to the plot, though the story's time line is thinly sketched. Readers looking for a tearful read that ends with hope will not be disappointed.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)