THE WAY TO BEA
Author: Kat Yeh
Pub. Date: September 19, 2017
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
With a charming voice, winning characters, and a perfectly-woven plot, Kat Yeh delivers a powerful story of friendship and finding a path towards embracing yourself.
Everything in Bea's world has changed. She's starting seventh grade newly friendless and facing big changes at home, where she is about to go from only child to big sister. Feeling alone and adrift, and like her words don't deserve to be seen, Bea takes solace in writing haiku in invisible ink and hiding them in a secret spot.
But then something incredible happens--someone writes back. And Bea begins to connect with new friends, including a classmate obsessed with a nearby labyrinth and determined to get inside. As she decides where her next path will lead, she just might discover that her words--and herself--have found a new way to belong.
Twelve year old Bea Lee and her BFF had big plans for seventh grade, but now Bea’s friends are ignoring her, Bea’s super busy artist mother and graphic novelist father are focused on the arrival of Bea’s little sister, and Bea feels utterly lost and invisible. She takes comfort in the poems she feels in her heart and writes in invisible ink, then hides in a special place...and one day someone writes back! Who is the mystery writer and friend? Could it be Bea’s former BFF, one of the interesting boys Bea meets working on the school newspaper, or someone else? Navigating seventh grade turns out to be as complex as the world of labyrinths Bea finds herself immersed in...and just maybe along the way, Bea simply finds herself.
Kat Yeh’s The Way To Bea is a heartfelt delight! With an absolute pitch-perfect voice, endearing characters, and beautiful depth, The Way To Bea will sweetly and smartly charm middle-grade (and grown-up) readers.
Kat Yeh perfectly captures that angsty, confusing, often heartbreaking, and too big, too muchness time in adolescence (the middle-school years), and does so with clever humor, profound honesty, soul-deep heart, and fantastic poetry. I think every reader, but especially middle-grade readers, will be able to relate to Bea’s story in some way and, more importantly, will find meaning in her journey. Young readers will appreciate Bea’s genuine and authentic POV and voice, and the way Yeh doesn’t underestimate her readers’ ability to ponder life’s big questions and process even bigger emotions.
The Way To Bea is bursting with a rainbow of wonderfully engaging characters! From Bea to her parents, peers, and teachers, there is such an awesome array of eclectic, quirky, thoughtful, funny, unique characters for readers to love and relate to. With Bea’s new labyrinth obsessed friend, Will, Kat Yeh carefully and deftly gives a voice to young readers on the Autism spectrum, as Will has Asperger Syndrome (this is never stated in the book, but alluded to). And I must mention the character of Briggs, the editor in chief of the middle-school newspaper, because the boy charmed me completely! I’d love to see a 17/18 year old Briggs in a young adult novel someday because that boy is gonna grow up to be a sweetly swoon-worthy fella. (One of my favorite Briggs lines is halfway down on page 338!).
I just loved everything about this book: it’s captivating storytelling, irresistible voice, wonderful characters, and moving and profound message. The Way To Bea is a thoughtful and timely middle-grade novel that has that magical, marvelous ability to leave readers feeling like they just met a new friend!
MY RATING
5/5 Cupcakes
Kat grew up reading, doodling, and scribbling in Westtown. She worked for many years in advertising and sports marketing, while writing children’s books in the wee hours of the night. She currently lives on Long Island where she can see water every day and explore all the bay and harbor beaches with her family.
3 winners will receive a finished copy of
THE WAY TO BEA!
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1 comment:
I like the title and the book cover! Bea sounds like a great character and I am excited to read her story!
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