Violets are Blue: a middle grade story of family secrets

Violets are Blue by Barbara Dee is a poignant look at how one middle schooler, Wren, tries to deal with her family drama by escaping into her passion for special effects makeup.  This is a book that brings up important issues that young people deal with or may see in their friends' lives.  It offers a chance for readers to discuss issues such as divorce, being the new kid in school, addiction and having half-siblings in a safe way.  Dee realistically writes the characters and situations so the reader roots for them to make better decisions in order to bring relief to their ailing hearts.

Wren experiences a traumatic family event when her father leaves her mother for another woman, moves away to New York City and has twins with her.  Stuck in the middle of her parents, Wren just wants everyone to be happy so she avoids telling them about the other one's lives.  Her escape from this tension is into the CatFX YouTube channel where Cat teaches her viewers how to transform faces with makeup. 

 Wren is pushed out of her comfort zone when her mom decides to move them to a new town where Wren is to start 7th grade.  Her mother's actions keep getting more alarming and when Wren tries to handle it on her own, it becomes so big that it's out of her hands.  Wren reaches a breaking point, will she be able to come out of it unscathed?

I highly recommend this book for middle grade readers and adults who want the perspective of a tween who is doing her best in a tough situation.  Dee is a seasoned writer whose other books also touch on young people who are challenged by life.  Check out more of Dee's books below:

 

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.