Stick With Me

Stick With Me

“Stunning.”— School Library Journal (starred review) “A pitch-perfect ode to friendship.”— Good Morning America An ice skater without a rink. An artist without a place to draw. Two misfit girls who become unlikely friends over the course of an unusual week. Readers of Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Rebecca Stead, and Lisa Graff will adore Stick with Me . ? Izzy’s best friend seems to be ditching her for the Queen of Mean, Daphne Toll. Izzy wants to fit in and have some real friends, but all she really has are her drawings. And then her family rents out their house during winter break for some extra cash—and that family’s daughter is sleeping in Izzy’s room and attending the same camp! Wren is focused on perfecting her ice-skating routine after tanking at sectionals last year. But when her sister qualifies for a life-changing treatment for her epilepsy, Wren is carted off to stay in a rented home near Boston. It doesn’t help that she’s forced to attend the local theater camp, where it seems like the mean girls have it out for her. Will Izzy and Wren’s shared status as targets of Phoebe and Daphne bring them closer? Or will middle school drama prevent them from ever becoming friends? Jennifer Blecher, the author of the acclaimed Out of Place , writes with a pitch-perfect ear for tween girls about the ups and downs of middle school friendships. Told from dual perspectives, Stick with Me is a story about fitting in and figuring yourself out. What happens when the girl sleeping in your bedroom is the only one who understands? Dual POV: See the story unfold from two perspectives: Izzy, the artist who feels left behind, and Wren, the ice skater whose world is turned upside down. - Forced Proximity: One house, one theater camp. Izzy and Wren can’t escape each other—or the mean girls determined to make their week miserable. - Finding Your Voice: A moving story about standing up to bullies, discovering what matters most, and learning that the best friends are the ones who see the real you. - Family Challenges: This powerful novel tackles tough topics like sibling illness and financial worries with sensitivity and hope. Gr 3-6-Blecher preserves the ingredients from her successful debut, Out of Place, and reworks them in this stunning novel. Wren is a talented ice-skater who travels to Boston to be with her little sister Hannah while she undergoes surgery at a local hospital. Her parents rent a house for a week, and Wren moves into the room of a young girl her age named Izzy. Izzy and her family move into the apartment above their garage, and they form a friendship with their new tenants. Wren joins Izzy for her week-long theater camp, and is absorbed into a web of drama that threatens to complicate their relationship. These two unlikely friends soon learn what it means to "stick together." Blecher has a clear gift for writing about young girls who live on social margins, and the particular struggle of wanting to belong while staying faithful to one's self. Izzy and Wren are relatable heroines with flaws, impulses, and dreams that will resonate with young readers. Wren's family is uprooted from their routine, which results in a considerable amount of stress and anxiety as they anticipate the outcome of Hannah's surgery. Blecher addresses the difficult topic with sensitivity and realism, without sugarcoating the very real effect of medical transitions on families. VERDICT A smart and emotionally honest book that lays bare the complexities of friendship and of growing up.-Katherine Hickey, Metropolitan Lib. Syst., Oklahoma Cityα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. “Two girls navigate the slippery ice of tween friendship. . . . The girls’ stories are told in alternating third-person chapters integrated so well­ that when the two ultimately intertwine it is both natural and fresh. . . . Wren and Izzy have depth and nuance that give their stories vitality and believability . . . A pleasurable balance of original and satisfying.” - Kirkus Reviews “[A] stunning novel. . . . two unlikely friends soon learn what it means to ‘stick together.’ Blecher has a clear gift for writing about young girls who live on social margins, and the particular struggle of wanting to belong while staying faithful to one’s self. Izzy and Wren are relatable heroines with flaws, impulses, and dreams that will resonate with young readers. . . . A smart and emotionally honest book that lays bare the complexities of friendship and of growing up.” - School Library Journal (starred review) “Izzy and Wren become unlikely confidantes and discover the power of a supportive friendship. Each protagonist is layered and relatable: anxious Izzy uses her art to navigate her emotions, while Wren regrets her habit of speaking harshly before thinking. In chapters that alternate between the girls’ perspectives, Blecher keenly illustrates the agonies and intricacies of tween friends