fiction Archives - Page 379 of 709

The List of Things That Will Not Change
by Rebecca Stead (Author)

Booktalk: After her parents’ divorce, Bea’s life became different in many ways. But she can always look back at the list she keeps in her green notebook to remember the things that will stay the same. The first and most important: Mom and Dad will always love Bea, and each other.

When Dad tells Bea that he and his boyfriend, Jesse, are getting married, Bea is thrilled. Bea loves Jesse, and when he and Dad get married, she’ll finally (finally!) have what she’s always wanted–a sister. Even though she’s never met Jesse’s daughter, Sonia, Bea is sure that they’ll be “just like sisters anywhere.”

As the wedding day approaches, Bea will learn that making a new family brings questions, surprises, and joy.

Snippet: I like to dance. Not “dance” dance, with mirrors and leotards, but secret dancing in my room with my earbuds in. I don’t know how it looks, but I know how it feels. It feels like I know exactly what to do.

Balletball
by Erin Dionne (Author) and Gillian Flint (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Nini hates baseball. She hates that baseball is not ballet. She especially hates that Mom signed her up to play, but now she’s stuck with the sport. Nini just can’t bring herself to try. Her team starts to lose, but not even her teammates’ disappointment will change her feelings. A pep talk from her coach and sparkly shoelaces help–a little. When Nini makes a game-winning catch using her ballet moves, she realizes that change might not be so bad after all, and ballet and baseball have more in common than she thought.

Snippet: “I want my tutu! And my sparkles!” she wailed to her mother. “I want to leap and twirl and plié.”