Audrey Couloumbis

Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

New York

When twelve-year-old Willa Jo climbs onto the roof at Aunt Patty's house to see the sunrise, she never expects the conflicted feelings she's had for three weeks to crystallize into a stubbornness that will keep her there all day. But once she's up there, Willa Jo can't seem to come down. Coming down means having to explain herself. And ho can she explain?After Baby died, Little Sister stopped talking. Then Aunt Patty took the girls away from Mom to give her time to pull herself together. Aunt Patty has a million rules about everything, and she seems to have forgotten that Willa Jo and Little Sister are trying to cope with loosing Baby, too. And missing Mom something fierce.In this beautifully-structured novel-which takes place all in one day-two generations of big sisters struggle with what being a big sister means. Couloumbis masterfully shows us the pervasive feelings that can take hold when tragedy strikes and the slow, subtle healing that comes when one can finally get near to the source.

Getting near to Baby

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A Southern charmer for fans of Newbery Honor book Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage


Audrey Couloumbis's masterful debut novel brings to mind Karen Hesse, Katherine Paterson, and Betsy Byars's The Summer of the Swans--it is a story you will never forget. 


Willa Jo and Little Sister are up on the roof at Aunt Patty's house. Willa Jo went up to watch the sunrise, and Little Sister followed, like she always does. But by mid-morning, they are still up on that roof, and soon it's clear it wasn't just the sunrise that brought them there. 


The trouble is, coming down would mean they'd have to explain, and they just can't find the words. 


This is a funny, sometimes heartbreaking, story about sisters, about grief, and about healing.  Two girls must come to terms with the death of their baby sister, their mother's unshakable depression, and the ridiculously controlling aunt who takes them in and means well but just doesn't understand children. Willa Jo has to try and make things right in their new home, but she and Aunt Patty keep butting heads. Until the morning the two girls climb up to the roof of her house. Aunt Patty tries everything she can think of to get them down, but in the end, the solution is miraculously simple.

A Newbery Honor Book

An ALA Notable Book

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Category - Fiction / General Fiction

Format - Hardcover

Condition - Like New

Listed - 2 years ago

Views - 6

Ships From - New York

Est. Publication Date - Sep 1999

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Getting near to Baby

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