Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World

After 12-year-old Ivy’s rural Georgia home is obliterated by a tornado, she heads to a shelter for the night with her parents, older sister, and twin baby brothers. There, Ivy ends up hanging out with her classmate June, a budding poet who admires Ivy’s drawing talent. The same night, Ivy’s treasured notebook goes missing—a book where she brought all her secrets to life, including the fact that Ivy thinks she likes girls. Worse, the person who has her notebook starts leaving notes in her locker, telling Ivy she should share her secret with someone she trusts. Blake (Suffer Love) gives Ivy the deep-thinking soul of an artist, gently examining the trauma of losing her home, Ivy’s excitement about her crush on June, and her fears that people will judge her if they discover her secret. Blake dots Ivy’s world with sensitive and knowing conversation partners, young and old, with whom Ivy shares her questions and worries. This is an emotionally sensitive and elegantly written novel about loss and the first stirrings of love. Ages 8–12. Agent: Rebecca Podos, Rees Literary. (Mar.)