Dear Sweet Pea: a middle grades coming-of-age story for Judy Blume fans

Dear Sweet Pea, a middle grades chapter book by #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Julie Murphy, is the perfect book to get into the mind of an insecure, doubtful adolescent, Patricia "Sweet Pea", who has opportunities to make amends.  This realistic fiction story shines in its empathetic characters who are enduring the messy dynamics of friendships and cliques of middle school.  

7th grader, Sweet Pea, doesn't know what to expect when her father comes out to her and her mother.  She's not too surprised when they decide to get a divorce but what surprises her and the rest of the town is that her father rented the house that is the same floor plan as hers, only two doors away on the same block.  The only house between her mom and dad's house belongs to the peculiar neighbor, Miss Flora Mae, who happens to write an advice column in the local newspaper.  Thankfully, Sweet Pea can count on her BFF, Oscar, to help her get through the awkwardness of the new set-up and since she certainly cannot count on her ex-BFF, Keira, who hasn't acknowledged her since elementary school, Oscar is all she has.

When Miss Flora Mae asks Sweet Pea to secretly send her the letters the townsfolk write for her column  while she is away on a trip, Sweet Pea notices a letter that is written in Keira's handwriting.  Is this Sweet Pea's chance to get back at Keira by giving her advice on behalf of Miss Flora Mae?  Who would know?  Could this be her chance to rekindle their friendship? This is when Sweet Pea's choices begin to spiral in the wrong direction.

This story is ripe for discussion with readers:

• Should Sweet Pea tell her parents about Miss Mae's request?  Look at examples of advice columns in newspapers and magazines, what kinds of help do people need?  Why do people seek out advice from a stranger?
• What is the most awkward party you've attended?
• If you could research any person, who would you pick?
• Why is Aretha Franklin such a role model? Why did Murphy start the novel out with a quote by Franklin, "Sometimes, what you're looking for is already there." Listen to songs by Aretha Franklin and find other lines that stand out to you.
• Body image is a big part of the story, in both the male and female perspective.  Oscar and Sweet Pea don't fit into the image of bodies portrayed as beautiful in the media and culture in the U.S.  Do you feel pressure to look a certain way?
• What topic in the story do you want to learn more about: friendship dynamics, having a gay parent, divorce, having a crush, what it means to be a good friend.

Although this is told from Sweet Pea's perspective it would be neat to learn more about the other characters in the story, like her quirky neighbor, Miss Flora Mae, her BFF Oscar, her ex-BFF Keira, and even her parents.  Her teacher, Mrs. Young tells her:

"You know, the best part about mistakes is there's nowhere to go but up. You can either learn from them or if you're really lucky, you might even be able to fix them."

This is a universal theme that even adults can consider and discuss with readers.