Dear Dad, Love Laurie
Publisher Description
After her father moves away, Laurie sends her love by mail
The scariest thing Laurie has ever seen is a half-empty house, which she discovered the day her dad moved away. The divorce was a long time coming, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. To stay in touch with her father, Laurie’s mom forces her to write him a letter each week, keeping him updated on everything from quizzes and tests to parties and boys. At first, the letters are a chore, a painful reminder that Dad isn’t around anymore, but with every stamp she licks, Laurie finds herself growing up just a little bit more.
This remarkable novel, told entirely through Laurie’s letters to her father, is a powerful story of divorce and renewal that proves it’s not impossible to love someone from afar.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Once again Pfeffer writes with humor and sensitivity, this time in a novel about sixth-grader Laurie Levine. The entire storyin a structure similar to Beverly Cleary's Dear Mr. Henshaw is cleverly conveyed through the letters Laurie writes to her father following her parents' divorce. Laurie expresses her feelings about the divorce, how she misses her father and how she reacts when both of her parents begin to date other people, including in the balance of the material her hopes for school and her jealousy of her friend Kris. The letters chronicle Laurie's growth through the school year; readers will admire the honesty and determination found in her lively, believable narration. Ages 9-12.
