With a gentle Southern accent and a youthful voice, narrator Cassandra Morris embodies the bereft Annie Lee after her father’s unexpected death. Starting sixth grade alone after being ghosted by her former best friends, Annie Lee struggles to carve a new life for herself, first by making an unexpected friend in the tough skater girl, Mitch, at school and then by secretly befriending an elderly pianist named Ray and taking piano lessons from him. Morris gracefully captures the emotional and economic toll of such a devastating loss as Annie Lee and her mother navigate lies, grief, and moments of connection in their shifting relationship. Mitch and her family’s neutral accents suggest the differences between the two families. S.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
The acclaimed author of Where the Watermelons Grow is back with a story perfect for fans of Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Ali Benjamin, about finding friendship after a tragic loss.
It's been eighty-three days since Annie Lee's daddy died, but she still sees reminders of him everywhere. His record player mysteriously plays his favorite songs, there's shaving cream in the sink every morning, and the TV keeps flipping to the Duke basketball games he loved.
She knows Mama notices it too, but Mama's been working around the clock to make ends meet. To make matters worse, Annie Lee's friends ditched her over the summer. She feels completely alone-until she meets Mitch.
Though Mitch is tough and confident on the outside, she may need a friend just as badly as Annie Lee. But after losing so much, Annie Lee is afraid to let anyone get too close.
And Mitch isn't the only friend trying to break through Annie Lee's defenses. Ray, an elderly pianist who plays at a local mall, has been giving her piano lessons. His music is pure magic, and Annie Lee hopes it might be the key to healing her broken heart. But when Ray goes missing, searching for him means breaking a promise to Mitch.
Faced with once again losing those who mean the most to her, Annie Lee must make a choice: retreat back into her shell, or risk admitting how much she needs Mitch and Ray-even if it means getting hurt all over again.
Just like in her debut, Where the Watermelons Grow, Cindy Baldwin brings her signature twist of magic to this authentically heartfelt story.
A Whitney Award finalist
An AML Award finalist
The acclaimed author of Where the Watermelons Grow is back with a story perfect for fans of Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Ali Benjamin, about finding friendship after a tragic loss.
It's been eighty-three days since Annie Lee's daddy died, but she still sees reminders of him everywhere. His record player mysteriously plays his favorite songs, there's shaving cream in the sink every morning, and the TV keeps flipping to the Duke basketball games he loved.
She knows Mama notices it too, but Mama's been working around the clock to make ends meet. To make matters worse, Annie Lee's friends ditched her over the summer. She feels completely alone-until she meets Mitch.
Though Mitch is tough and confident on the outside, she may need a friend just as badly as Annie Lee. But after losing so much, Annie Lee is afraid to let anyone get too close.
And Mitch isn't the only friend trying to break through Annie Lee's defenses. Ray, an elderly pianist who plays at a local mall, has been giving her piano lessons. His music is pure magic, and Annie Lee hopes it might be the key to healing her broken heart. But when Ray goes missing, searching for him means breaking a promise to Mitch.
Faced with once again losing those who mean the most to her, Annie Lee must make a choice: retreat back into her shell, or risk admitting how much she needs Mitch and Ray-even if it means getting hurt all over again.
Just like in her debut, Where the Watermelons Grow, Cindy Baldwin brings her signature twist of magic to this authentically heartfelt story.
A Whitney Award finalist
An AML Award finalist
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940173962188 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Publication date: | 02/11/2020 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Age Range: | 8 - 11 Years |
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