Lily's Promise
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- $3.99
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
From National Book Award–winning author Kathryn Erskine comes a heartfelt, poignant novel that tackles grief, change, and the struggle to let your voice be heard. Perfect for fans of Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Erin Entrada Kelly, and Ali Benjamin.
Shy, eleven-year-old Lily made her dad an important promise before he passed away—that she would “Strive for Five” and speak her mind at least five times. But speaking up one time, let alone five, is easier said than done. It’ll be even harder now that Lily must attend public school for the first time. Fortunately, she meets curling-obsessed Hobart and quiet Dunya at the beginning of sixth grade. Their kindness gives Lily hope that life without Dad might just be bearable.
But when Lily and her friends are bullied by Ryan and his mean clique, she quickly discovers the true meaning of friendship and speaking out. Despite the anxiety she feels, Lily knows she needs to stand up for herself and others. And she’ll use the tools her dad gave her to not only keep her final promise but bring her whole school together.
Following Lily’s journey and the snarky, insightful, and humorous commentary from Libro, the actual book, who guides readers through this thoughtful tale, makes Lily’s Promise a strong title for social emotional learning.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In alternating chapters, Erskine (The Incredible Magic of Being) follows the third-person telling of a sixth grade new kid and the meta first-person commentary of Libro—the book itself. When intellectually curious, formerly homeschooled Lily, cued as white, starts at a new school following her father's death, the shy girl attempts to honor a promise she made to him: to move out of her comfort zone. As Lily adjusts to life with her immigration lawyer mother and labradoodle Skippy, she also navigates the transition to school, bullies, and lunchtime cliques, gradually collecting friends: outspoken white neighbor and curling enthusiast Hobart ("Awkward is my middle name") and contemplative, multilingual Dunya, who's from Iraq. Erskine effectively captures Lily's struggles to find her voice, escalating her conflict with entitled bully Ryan, in opposition to whom the friends start a kindness letter-writing campaign, stand up for each other and others, and launch a slate of candidates for student council. The inclusion of Libro's meta voice can sometimes interrupt the action, but it effectively provides humor while offering insight into storytelling. A touching novel that will leave readers cheering for Lily's quiet victories. Ages 8–12.
