Review by Booklist Review
Sara Salt has selective mutism and uses letter writing as her main form of communication. Most of her missives are to her premature baby brother, who remains hospitalized and is scheduled for surgery. For the summer before fifth grade, Sara moves in with her half sister, Abby, in Toronto, so that their parents can focus on the baby. Abby is an architect who in her spare time is building a pod community to aid with the housing shortage. Told exclusively in letters to her brother, with the exception of a few letters to the mayor of Toronto, to a librarian, and to a police officer, the novel showcases how Sara develops her own voice in her own way and uses it to make a difference. Reminiscent of Ann Braden's The Benefits of Being an Octopus (2018) and Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer's To Night Owl from Dogfish (2019), this book is a perfectly paced, heartwarming choice for middle-grade readers drawn to stories of activism.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--6--A meaningful, heartwarming read exploring different types of families, housing insecurity, selective mutism, postpartum depression, and the power of creative problem-solving in quiet advocacy. Sara is a soon-to-be fifth grader whose brother is born premature and needs to spend time in the hospital. She is sent to Toronto to live with her half-sister Abby until her brother can come home. Abby lives in a storage container home and is working on creating transitional housing for the unhoused. Sara has selective mutism and has to find creative ways to communicate her needs, especially after meeting unhoused folks who are camping and wanting to advocate for them. The novel is written in letters from Sara to her baby brother, making it a fast-paced, accessible read perfect for an early middle grade reading level and great for the classroom. Kids with big feelings and compassion will relate to Sara's experiences. Prendergast explores powerful themes in a way that is hopeful and shows kids they too can make a difference. VERDICT A must-purchase for exploration of advocacy for kiddos with sensitive souls, and a great choice for group reading. Pair this with The Lonely Book by Meg Grehan.--Taylor Skorski
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young girl learns to express herself in this epistolary novel. Ten-year-old Sara Salt has anxiety and selective mutism. Her baby brother, Oliver, was born premature and is still in the NICU, her mother is recovering from the birth and dealing with postpartum depression, and her stepfather is working to support them. Amid the chaos, Sara is sent to stay with her adult half sister, Abby, in Toronto. To grapple with her big feelings, Sara writes letters to Oliver. She begins to learn about the issues facing unhoused people as she helps Abby build a transitional housing community. Sara discovers that she doesn't need to speak to make a difference as she starts writing letters, not only to her brother, but to the mayor, the police, the librarian, and her neighbors. This charming and engaging book has much to teach readers about anxiety disorders, homelessness, and family, but Sara's narrative voice never feels didactic. Most of the lessons are cleverly worked into the story as she explains things to Oliver or processes them for herself, which makes the educational moments feel authentic. Many readers will relate to Sara, whether they share the same experiences or they just struggle to make themselves heard. Sara reads white; Abby's maternal grandmother is Chinese. A sweet, touching story of a young girl forging connections and coming into her own.(Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
