EIGHT STARRED REVIEWS! The reassuring book kids and families need right now.“An absolute original . . . a story that kids will love.” –R. J. Palacio, bestselling author of WonderAt a time when everything is changing for Bea and her family, the important things will always stay the same. A soon-to-be classic by the Newbery Award-winning author of When You Reach Me.After her parents’ divorce, … Me.
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, and readers will discover why the New York Times called Rebecca Stead a “writer of great feeling.”
“An undeniably beautiful book.” —The New York Times
“No author writing today observes young lives with more clarity, tenderness, and grace.” –Newbery Medalist Katherine Applegate, author of The One and Only Ivan
“Stead truly understands the inner life of kids.” –Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly, author of Hello, Universe and You Go First
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Rebecca Stead’s writing is always infused with the tender minutiae of being alive, with the price we have to pay to be human. This book, along with its perfect title, is ‘Typical Rebecca Stead.’ And that’s a heartfelt compliment.
I thought this was a very, well written read from a child’s POV on her life when her Mom and Dad were together, and then they weren’t. Coping mechanisms, counseling, feelings, thoughts, this touches on all of it. It felt so real what Bea goes through in life with all the changes, but it is so important to also remember and make a list of what won’t ever change, focus on constants when changes overwhelm.
Her Dad was getting married to another man, she was so excited and happy, she loved Jesse and he had a daughter, so that meant she got an insta sister which thrilled her.
She also found out not everyone accepts same sex relationships, and felt bad when the wedding had a few not so good moments, but it didn’t stop them from making the wedding a happy event.
Her friends, she found were true friends through thick and thin, her mom and dad loved her unconditionally, and life goes on.
I received an ARC through NetGalley and am giving my honest opinion
I received this ARC from the publisher, Penguin Random House, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The List of Things That Will Not Change is a beautifully written book about a young girl named Beatrice (Bea for short). When Bea was eight years old, her parents called a family meeting. They explained that they were getting a divorce and that Bea would have two houses, her mom’s and her dad’s, and that she would spend time equally at each. They gave her a notebook that already had the start of a list, a list of things that would never change. Throughout the next two years, Bea would keep adding to the list.
The reason for her parent’s divorce was that her dad is gay. He met his partner Jesse and fell in love. When Bea was 10, they sat her down for another family meeting. They were getting married and she was going to have a (step)sister.
Throughout the story, Bea makes the mistakes that we would expect of a child, and some a little unexpected. She tries to do the right thing which is sometimes the wrong thing. All in all she seems to be a well adjusted child who is very accepting of her life. When she overhears the plans for the invitations and that Jesse’s brother, Mission, won’t be coming due to his feelings towards Jesse’s lifestyle choices, she takes matters into her own hands and sends Mission an invitation. It comes to a head at the wedding.
I love this story. I love that Bea seems to want nothing more than to have everyone be loving and accepting. She wants everyone around her to be happy. Although she retaliates against those who she feels have offended her and/or her parents. With there being more and more families with same sex parents, children need to learn acceptance, and if not that, respect. In this book, Bea’s friends didn’t have an issue with her dad being with a man. They didn’t make fun of her or isolate her. That is exactly as it should be. With so much hate in this world, it was nice to read a book teaching children that just because a situation is different from theirs, doesn’t mean it’s bad.
Some parents may not want their children to read this book because of the fact that there are things/relationships that they don’t approve of but I, for one, will be reading it to my older grandchildren.
I read this book in a matter of an hour. It made me laugh and it made me cry. I highly recommend it as a read for any age above the age of 10 (mostly for comprehension reasons).
An absolute original… a story that kids will love.
From the moon, the wedding, and the cake, to Bea’s mind, Rebecca has captured everything so completely, so beautifully. Truly a wonderful work.
This is a story of love that enlarges, even though it is not always easy. We cheer for and are cheered by Bea’s quiet triumphs because they are triumphs of the heart.