Once You Know This by Emily Blejwas - OPTIONAL

Blejwas, Emily Once You Know This, 225 pages.  Delacorte (Random), 2017.  $17.  

Content: G (1 swear, 0 ‘f’, hints of abuse)

Brittany, with her mother and her little half brother Tommy, live under the thumb of Jack, her mother’s boyfriend, who thankfully is not around much.  Brittany’s great grandmother, Daisy also lives with them, but Granny has become more and more frail and forgetful as the months go on. Brittany’s teacher, Mr. McInnis is always talking to his students about having a plan, but Brittany doesn’t even have a notebook to write a plan.  School is the only place that she feels completely safe, especially on those occasions that Jack appears with his arbitrary rules and anger.  There has to be a better way to live.  When Granny receives  a birthday card, Brittany thinks that find out who “Fuzzy” is may be a good place to start. 

For a child who needs to know that hope is out there, this is a nice option, however, I have read other books that I loved more.  Try Like Magic by Elaine Vickers, The ThingsAbout Leftovers by C.C. Payne, or Hold Fast by Blue Balliett.

EL - OPTIONAL.  Cindy, Library Teacher