"Charming and beautifully humorous . . . A sparkling story of weathering change." -Booklist, starred review
Everything is changing for Becket Branch.
From subways to sidewalks to safety rules, she is a city kid born and raised. Now the Branch family is trading urban bustle for big green fields and moving to help their gran on Blackberry Farm, where Becket has to make sense of new routines, from feeding animals to baling hay.
But Becket is ready! She even makes her own "Becket List" for How to Be a Country Kid. Things don't always work out the way she planned, but whether it's selling mouth-puckering lemonade, feeding hostile hens, or trying to make a new best friend, Becket is determined to use her city smarts to get a grip on country living.
Get ready to yell "Beautiful Alert!" along with Becket as she mucks through the messy, exuberant experience of change she didn't ask for, in a story that sparkles with quirky characters, cheerful humor, and unexpected adventures. Young middle-grade readers coping with change in their own lives will wonder and explore with the bold and intrepid Becket Branch when her family's move from city to a country farm means big changes. Adele Griffin is the National Book Award-nominated author of numerous books for middle grade and young adult readers, including the popular Oodlethunks, Witch Twins, and Vampire Island series. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and two children.
LeUyen Pham worked in animation before turning to children's books. She is the illustrator of the Princess in Black series, Real Friends, the Freckleface Strawberry series, and many other books for young readers. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and two sons. "This is not just a terrific book about sharing friends with siblings, rolling with changes, and the difficulty of making new friends after a move. It is also (spoiler alert) a terrific, gentle, earnest book for coping with pet loss . . . [Griffin's] humor, pathos, quick character development, and enjoyable dialogue are just as good as ever, and Pham's illustrations . . . are charming and beautifully humorous in how they capture emotional expression. A sparkling story of weathering change."
-Booklist, starred review
"Becket is an outgoing, refreshingly self-confident protagonist . . . Readers will appreciate her ability to bounce back from whatever life hands her. Pham's sketch drawings scattered throughout enhance the energy and humor of the story. Give this to kids who enjoy stories with plucky female protagonists."
-School Library Journal
"Becket is a regular laundry list of confidently delivered safety sayings, and it's just one of her many original and sparkling traits . . . the storyline is warm and amusing as Becket and her two siblings navigate their new life on a farm."
-Kirkus Reviews
"An enjoyable novel for young readers beginning to explore the world on their own terms."
-Horn Book Magazine
"Becket's narration vibrates with energy and cheer…Pham's black and white illustrations…have just the right amount of comic flair to match the vibrant humor of Becket's story."
-The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Perfect . . . This fun and colorful novel will surely make you happy and brighten up your day."
-Newsday
