By Rebecca Stead (author)
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September 2015 Book of the Month Rebecca Stead loves to set her readers puzzles: there are huge mysteries in her award-winning novels When You Reach Me and Liar and Spy and her new book, Goodbye Stranger also poses questions. Central character Bridge was very nearly killed by a car aged 8, and has never forgotten one of the nurses telling her that ‘you must have been put on this earth for a reason’ – the question what that reason might be circles in her head thereafter.
At the time of the book’s action, Bridge is 12 and starting seventh grade, year 7 as we know it, a year that marks a real transition from childhood to the beginning of adulthood. She navigates it cautiously, even reluctantly, in contrast to her long-time best friends Tab and Em who seem more than ready to become young adults.
In other plotlines, Bridge’s new friend Sherm tries to work out why his grandfather left his grandmother after fifty years of happy marriage, and – another mystery – which character, unnamed until the very end, is bunking off school in shame after betraying a friend’s trust? Full of ideas, insight and real depth, this beautifully told story examines love and friendship in all their forms, and asks us all to think about who we are. ~ Andrea Reece
Bridge has always been a bit of an oddball, but since she recovered from a serious accident, she's found fitting in with her friends increasingly hard. Tab and Em are getting cooler and better and they don't get why she insists on wearing novelty cat ears every day. Bridge just thinks they look good.
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It's getting harder to keep their promise of no fights, especially when they start keeping secrets from each other.Sherm wants to get to know Bridge better. But he's hiding the anger he feels at his grandfather for walking out.And then there is another girl, who is struggling with an altogether more serious set of friendship troubles...Told from interlinked points of view, this is a bittersweet story about the trials of friendship and growing up.
'Bittersweet story from multi-award-winner Stead. Highly recommended.' The Bookseller, Fiona Noble
'Memorable story about female friendships, silly bets, different kinds of love, and bad decisions is authentic in detail and emotion-another Stead hallmark.' Publishers Weekly, starred review
'Winsome, bighearted and altogether rewarding' Booklist, starred review
‘Immensely satisfying’ School Library Journal
Rebecca Stead grew up in New York City where she lives today with her husband and two sons. Rebecca used to be a lawyer and wrote books for adults before turning to younger fiction. Her second book for children, When You Reach Me , won the Newbery Medal 2010, and her follow-up, Liar and Spy , was the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. She now combines her writing with work as a literary agent.
On her website she credits her son with inspiring her to write a children's novel, but not in the way one would expect. For years she had collected story ideas and short stories on a laptop, which the child pushed off a table, destroying it and losing all her 'serious' writing. As a way to lighten her mood she began again with something light-hearted. The creation of First Light followed.
the best books for teenagers · the best books for 9-12 year olds
Bridge has always been a bit of an oddball, but since she recovered from a serious accident, she's found fitting in with her friends increasingly hard. Tab and Em are getting cooler and better and they don't get why she insists on wearing novelty cat ears every day.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Goodbye Stranger and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-18 years old
Goodbye Stranger features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for Young Adults, Recommended Children's eBooks, Featured Books for 13+ readers, Featured Books for 11+ readers
Paperback, Ebook, Hardback. £6.99. Digital. Available Immediately. Country restrictions apply..
Goodbye Stranger was written by Rebecca Stead and published by Andersen Press Ltd
£6.99. Digital. Available Immediately. Country restrictions apply..
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