Sticks & Stones

by Abby Cooper

Overview

Sticks & Stones by Abby Cooper is a feel-good middle grade debut with just a dash of magic...

Ever since she was a baby, the words people use to describe Elyse have instantly appeared on her arms and legs. At first it was just "cute" and "adorable," but as she's gotten older and kids have gotten meaner, words like "loser" and "pathetic" appear, and those words bubble up and itch. And then there are words like "interesting," which she's not really sure how to feel about.

Now, at age twelve, she's starting middle school, and just when her friends who used to accept and protect her are drifting away, she receives an anonymous note saying "I know who you are, and I know what you're dealing with. I want to help." As Elyse works to solve the mystery of who is sending her these notes, she also finds new ways to accept who she is and to become her best self.

Fans of Wonder by R.J. Palacio will enjoy this book for its similar writing style, compelling characters, and upbeat tone...A quirky, clever, and lighthearted look at what it means to accept oneself..." —School Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250115263
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	07/03/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	483,798
Product dimensions:	5.15(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	750L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

Abby Cooper, a former teacher and school librarian, lives in Minnesota with her miniature poodle, Louis, and a whole bunch of books. Her favorite things in the world (besides writing) are getting and giving book recommendations and sharing her love of reading with others. In her spare time, she likes eating cupcakes, running along the Mississippi River, and watching a lot of bad reality TV. Sticks & Stones is her first novel.

Editorial Reviews

"Middle grade readers will enjoy Elyse’s wry observations about school and family life, and most will relate to the agony of dealing with being different, especially during those awkward ­preteen and teenage years. Fans of Wonder by R.J. Palacio will enjoy this book for its similar writing style, compelling characters, and upbeat tone... A quirky, clever, and lighthearted look at what it means to accept oneself..." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

06/13/2016
Sixth-grader Elyse was born with "cognadjivisibilitis," a disorder in which the words that anyone uses to describe Elyse appear on her body for weeks at a time. While nice words like "awesome" or "cool" are soothing, unkind words such as "dork" or "loser" itch a lot, and they're more prevalent now that Elyse's protective best friend has abandoned her for the mean popular girls. When someone starts leaving Elyse notes encouraging her to participate more in school, she learns to overcome her fears, make new friends, and become a leader. Self-acceptance is the key in Cooper's debut, but Elyse's struggle to get there is painfully realistic. Her interior thoughts and monthly letters to herself reveal a healthy sense of humor ("Holy high heels, he had eyeballs! That was a surprise considering he was such a furry guy"), but it's Elyse's kindness, perseverance, and smarts that help her rebuild her self-esteem. Cooper's stance on bullying is clear: words can—and do—hurt, but their power over you is only as strong as you allow them to be. Ages 10–12. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (July)

Publishers Weekly

06/01/2016
Gr 4–6—What if everything others said about you became visible on your body? This is the reality for new sixth grader Elyse. Elyse struggles with issues common to most middle schoolers: navigating the popular crowd, unrequited crushes, and changing friendships. But she also has to deal with cognadjivisibilitis, or CAV: a disease that causes words to appear all over her body whenever they're spoken aloud. It's not so bad when people say nice things about her, but the mean ones are big and itchy and compete for space. As if that's not embarrassing enough, Elyse has just discovered that anything she thinks about herself (positive or negative) shows up, too. Now somebody at her school is sending her secret notes, claiming to want to help her with her predicament. Elyse sets out to learn the identity of the mysterious letter writer, all the while working through her own issues of identity and self-acceptance. Cooper does an excellent job using the imagined CAV to explore self-esteem issues, which are so prevalent at this precarious time in life. Middle grade readers will enjoy Elyse's wry observations about school and family life, and most will relate to the agony of dealing with being different, especially during those awkward preteen and teenage years. Fans of Wonder by R.J. Palacio will enjoy this book for its similar writing style, compelling characters, and upbeat tone. VERDICT A quirky, clever, and lighthearted look at what it means to accept oneself. Highly recommended for most middle grade collections.—Tabitha Nordby, Red River College, Manitoba, Canada

School Library Journal