Publishers Weekly
05/08/2017
In this appealing faux-memoir, 11-year-old Winnie Malladi-Maraj is caught in a tug-of-war between her divorced parents. Unable to find perfect parity as they compete to spend holidays with their daughter, they embark on a ridiculous rash of one-upmanship, celebrating Flag Day, National Slinky Day, and World UFO Day in outlandish, time-consuming ways that leave Winnie more stressed than impressed. She is in danger of failing fifth grade until a project on local history gives her the idea to declare her epic tree house (which includes a loft, mini-fridge, and zip line) to be on sovereign soil so she won’t ever have to come down. When her friends join her, the so-called “Tulip Street Ten” makes national news. Graff (A Clatter of Jars) structures her story as a “collective memoir” that Winnie and her friends put together in hopes of winning a writing contest and avoiding flunking; editorial comments from her friends offering editorial commentary are scattered throughout on sticky notes, along with maps, memos, emails, cartoons, and how-to guides, creating a vibrant patchwork of personalities that gives voice to the power of friendship. Ages 8–12. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Inkwell Management. (May)
From the Publisher
Praise for Lisa Graff's novels:
The Great Treehouse War
"It’s kids vs. parents in epic fashion, and Graff’s not-quite-fantasy world is every kid’s dream....Graff’s whimsical, original work is a breath of fresh air. A strong addition to any middle grade collection."—School Library Journal
"Combining over-the-top storytelling with down-home wisdom, this appealing chapter book is easy to booktalk and fun to read."—Booklist
"In this appealing faux-memoir, [Lisa Graff creates] a vibrant patchwork of personalities that gives voice to the power of friendship."—Publishers Weekly
"It’s a good-natured satire of helicopter parenting and a celebration of child ingenuity, but mostly it’s all about what fun it is to live in a tree."—Horn Book
Lost in the Sun
* "Graff writes with stunning insight [and] consistently demonstrates why character-driven novels can live from generation to generation."—Kirkus Reviews *STARRED REVIEW*
* "Graff creates layered, vulnerable characters that are worth getting to know."—Booklist *STARRED REVIEW*
* "[A]n ambitious and gracefully executed story."—Publishers Weekly *STARRED REVIEW*
* "Weighty matters deftly handled with humor and grace will give this book wide appeal."—School Library Journal *STARRED REVIEW*
* "Characterization is thoughtful."—BCCB *STARRED REVIEW*
"This is a novel that speaks powerfully, honestly, almost shockingly about our human pain and our human redemption. This book will change you."—Gary Schmidt, author of The Wednesday Wars
"Lisa Graff crafts a compelling story about a boy touched with tragedy and the world of people he cares about. And like all the best stories, it ends at a new beginning."—Richard Peck, author of A Year Down Yonder
Absolutely Almost
* "Albie comes through significant emotional hardship to a genuine sense of self-worth."—School Library Journal, *STARRED REVIEW*
* "A perfect book to share with struggling readers."—Booklist, *STARRED REVIEW*
* "Achingly superb, Albie’s story shines."—Kirkus Reviews, *STARRED REVIEW*
* "Graff’s...gentle story invokes evergreen themes of coming to appreciate one’s strengths (and weaknesses), and stands out for its thoughtful, moving portrait of a boy who learns to keep moving forward, taking on the world at his own speed."—Publishers Weekly, *STARRED REVIEW*
"Lately the patrons of my school library have been asking, “Do you have any books like Wonder by R.J. Palacio?” and now I have the perfect offering."—BookPage
"Maybe the wonder of Absolutely Almost is that it’s willing to give us an almost unheard of hero."—Betsy Bird, Fuse #8 Blog
"Graff...again draws on her ability to create rich lifeworlds for her characters to present a boy who is gifted in many ways....[T]his is a sharp portrait of an outsider’s inner perspective, and Albie’s coming to terms with himself will be cheered by many."—BCCB Reviews
A Clatter of Jars:
"Graff is a master of the magical realism genre, and this offering is worthy of a spot in any middle grade collection."—School Library Journal
"Graff’s vivid character development and world building makes for tight plotting and nicely negotiable complexity. A great fit for fans of Louis Sachar’s Holes."—Booklist
"Graff’s prose and plot construction is as pleasing as ever, and A Clatter of Jars will appeal to a wide range of readers."—Bookpage
A Tangle of Knots
“Lisa Graff has created a beautiful world of deliciously interconnected stories that draw you in.”—Abby West, Entertainment Weekly, A-
* “Subtle and intricate, rich with humor and insight, this quietly magical adventure delights.”—Kirkus Reviews *STARRED REVIEW*
* “Combining the literary sensibility of E. B. White with the insouciance of Louis Sachar, Graff has written a tangle that should satisfy readers for years to come.”—Booklist *STARRED REVIEW*
School Library Journal
04/01/2017
Gr 3–6—Winnie's mom and dad are getting divorced. They are extremely competitive, both in their careers and their parenting styles, and splitting time with Winnie is no exception. They insist that their custody agreement be divided right down the middle, with each parent getting the exact same amount of time. Winnie will spend three days at her dad's house and three days at her mom's. That leaves Wednesdays, and since Winnie's parents can't split their daughter in half, they decide to build an amazing tree house between their properties. On Wednesdays, Winnie will live there alone. As her parents' competitiveness ramps up, Winnie finds that her Wednesdays are sacred. They're her only break from the custody craziness. When her time there is threatened, Winnie goes on the offensive and stages a tree house standoff. She's not coming out until her parents see her way of thinking, and nine of her closest friends join her with demands of their own. It's kids vs. parents in epic fashion, and Graff's not-quite-fantasy world is every kid's dream. All of the frustrations young people feel with their parents during a divorce are hilariously hyperbolized in a way that will make children feel vindicated and less alone. The epistolary format allows readers to get to know all of the characters through creative footnotes, sticky notes, newspaper articles, emails, and tiny drawings. VERDICT Graff's whimsical, original work is a breath of fresh air. A strong addition to any middle grade collection.—Mandy Laferriere, Fowler Middle School, Frisco, TX
MAY 2017 - AudioFile
As narrator Ariana Delawari portrays fifth-grader Winnie, other voices join in and express the playfulness of this story. Winnie’s parents are divorcing. Delawari plays up the irony of their demands for equal time and their competition in celebrating every ridiculous holiday—like Peach Cobbler Day. When Winnie spends Wednesdays alone in the elaborate tree house between her parents’ two homes, Delawari makes Winnie’s mounting frustration clear. She just wants to finish her homework assignment so she doesn’t fail fifth grade. Multiple voices chime in as Winnie’s nine classmates deliver compassion, recipes, details of craft projects, and their own dissatisfactions. The additional voices are a great way to represent the children’s diversity. Their contributions also suggest the story’s many forms of communication—from sticky notes to newspaper articles. S.W. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2017-03-06
Hyperbole reigns supreme!Indian-American Winnie's been suffering mightily since her parents' divorce. Neither one will give an inch, so Winnie's days are precisely divided between the warring, very peculiar adults, with the leftover day, Wednesday, spent in her magnificent treehouse. In trying to outdo each other by overcelebrating every conceivable holiday, Winnie's parents consume all of their daughter's time. She's now in grave danger of failing fifth grade. In desperation, she retreats to her treehouse, refusing to come down. Her nine school friends, depicted on the cover as being of varying races, unexpectedly join her there, each with a (trivial) gripe with parents, their strike resulting in instant fame. Due to a legal technicality, the kids can stay, but that doesn't keep the powerless adults from torturing them with loud music and bright spotlights. The third-person tale is presented from Winnie's perspective, interspersed with recipes, instructions for crafts, and, primarily, her friends' Post-it comments. By the 14th day, Winnie's sleep-deprived friends are splintering apart just like her parents did. With guidance from an insightful uncle she finds her voice and helps them all go home, fulfilling not their demands but what each one really needed. Her wayward parents remain unreachable though—until she realizes that she has to apply her determined persistence and dynamic, assertive voice with them too. Over-the-top but ultimately wise. (Fiction. 9-12)
