The New York Times Book Review - Lisa Graff
In a welcome divergence from the traditional coming-of-age novel, Kat Yeh's The Way to Bea is not the story of a young girl discovering who she is, but rather a girl who knows from harsh experience that being yourself can be the fastest way to trouble. Yeh…has created an indelible character in Bea. Her story shines most brightly in its juxtaposition of Bea's "true" self—in all its dancing-on-the-sidewalk-and-colored-bath-bombs-in-the-pool vibrancy—with the "blank page" she presents to the world…It's refreshing to find a children's novel that refrains from offering the pat advice to "just be yourself," and instead explores the messier truth that sometimes you have to decide when and by whom the most vulnerable bits of your personality might be best received.
Publishers Weekly
06/26/2017
At the end of sixth grade, avid poetry writer Beatrix “Bea” Lee had close friends, but she’s starting seventh grade as a social outcast after embarrassing herself at a pool party. Bea tries to fly under the radar, but as the school newspaper’s new poetry editor, she starts making friends who embrace her as she is: Briggs, the Broadside’s exuberant editor in chief, and Will, an autistic student who hangs out in the newspaper office. Will is obsessed with walking the hedge labyrinth on a nearby private estate, and Bea decides to help. She’s also having a secret correspondence: someone has begun reading and responding to the poems Bea writes in invisible ink and hides on school grounds. Yeh (The Truth About Twinkie Pie) homes in on the pain of not fitting in and of being discarded by a trusted friend (in a telling detail, Bea’s narration avoids even saying her former friends’ names, using only their initials). Bea’s social missteps will be excruciatingly relatable to many readers, and her slow journey to self-acceptance is moving and wise. Ages 8–12. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Praise for The Way to Bea:*"A winning combination of humor, heart, and redemption."
—School Library Journal (starred review)
"Yeh, the author of The Truth About Twinkie Pie, has created an indelible character in Bea...In a welcome divergence from the traditional coming-of-age novel, The Way to Bea is not the story of a young girl discovering who she is, but rather a girl who knows from harsh experience that being yourself can be the fastest way to trouble."—Lisa Graff, The New York Times Book Review
"Yeh exquisitely captures the feelings of a preteen...Bea's journey of self-discovery reminds readers it is important to be present for the journey of finding one's own voice and place."—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Moving and wise."
—Publishers Weekly
"Gets to the heart of middle school awkwardness like a sympathetic haiku."—Kirkus Reviews
Praise for The Truth About Twinkie Pie:
*"Yeh's characters are full of heart and she perfectly captures the middle school parent-child dynamic."
—Library Media Connection (starred review)
"Here's the Truth: This book is going to make you hungry. It's going to make you worry. It's going to make you want to hug your family and friends. And then it's going to make you want to gaze up at the shooting stars and smile, so happy that there is a book in the world like this one."—Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor author of The Underneath
"Combine equal parts funny, sweet, and warm with a whole heap of unique."—Barbara O'Connor, author of How to Steal a Dog and Greetings from Nowhere
"Irresistible...hard to put down and memorable."—Rita Williams-Garcia, Coretta Scott King Award winner and Newbery Honor author of One Crazy Summer and P.S. Be Eleven
"This story will tug at your heartstrings and make you hungry at the same time."—VOYA
"Endearing characters will keep readers engaged throughout as more than one character learns the true meaning of family and friendship."—School Library Journal
"The bouncy voice of protagonist Gigi—aka Galileo Galilei, aka Leia—makes her tale of a move, friendship, crushes, and a mystery about her identity a very easy one to get caught up in."—Booklist
"Yeh's nimbly voiced, combination fish-out-of-water, personal transformation and emotional family tale is also stuffed with charm."—Kirkus Reviews
"The quirky and original characters (particularly the artistic and exuberant Bea) help to distinguish this title from the recent slew of realistic middle grade books. This one is a keeper."—School Library Connection
School Library Journal
★ 07/01/2017
Gr 5–8—Seventh grader Beatrix Lee puts a lot of faith in haiku. Since her family and friendships are changing dramatically, Bea abandons her love of free verse poetry and takes solace in the haiku's dependable five-seven-five rhyme scheme. After an embarrassing incident at a pool party causes a painful rift with her longtime best friend, Bea writes most of her poetry in invisible ink, a reflection of the loneliness she feels at school and at home, where her parents are happily preparing for a new baby. Bea's love of words starts to reemerge with the encouragement of a supportive librarian who introduces her to the kids at Broadside, the school newspaper. During lunch time, Bea takes refuge in the Broadside office, where she meets Briggs, the paper's editor, who makes her feel like a valued member of a team, and Will, who is obsessed with labyrinths. When Bea decides to show Will a labyrinth that belongs to a wealthy and mysterious local resident, she learns the identity of the person who is leaving notes for her in a secret spot near her house. As Bea works her way through the maze of new friendships and a new role in her family, she begins to see herself and her friends more clearly. Readers will connect with Bea's first-person narrative of her winding path toward discovering her strengths. VERDICT This character-driven story is a winning combination of humor, heart, and redemption. Recommended for all libraries.—Shelley Sommer, Inly School, Scituate, MA
NOVEMBER 2017 - AudioFile
Dianne Down’s earnest, enthusiastic narration as Bea illuminates the tumult and excitement that accompany middle school, with its awkward social situations and clashes between expectation and reality. Seventh grade presents a host of challenges for Yeh's characters. With urgency and determination, Down recounts details of mysterious letters, daring quests, new friendships, and the search for a group in which one can be one’s authentic self. Her characterizations are spirited and and complex, highlighting the rapid growth and changes that accompany adolescence. Bea may be delightfully offbeat, but her challenges will resonate with anyone who is— or ever has been—a brave, young soul looking for his or her place in the world. K.S.B. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2017-05-15
Yeh (The Truth about Twinkie Pie, 2015) explores mazes, friendship, and individuality. Taiwanese-American budding poet Beatrix Lee, taking after her free-spirited artist parents, has always danced to the beat of her own playlist. But she enters seventh grade resolved to be as invisible as the ink she writes with. Lately, her best friend, S, has grown painfully and realistically distant, finding Bea's exuberance embarrassing. However, an invisible friend has begun answering the soul-searching poems Bea tucks into a wall. Is it the empathetic librarian who always recommends the right book? Or Briggs, the offbeat white student who edits the school newspaper and who likes her poetry? Or Will, the analytical white boy who's fascinated with labyrinths (and whom readers may identify as autistic)? Part friend and part plot device, Will resembles one of Bea's haiku, delivering sharp insights within the rigid structures of his routines. When Bea decides to help Will break into a famous local labyrinth via convenient plot loopholes, their plan takes an unexpected turn, and Bea must decide who her real friends are. When Bea emerges from the intricately drawn maze of her conflicting feelings, she makes a mature decision with a compassionate twist. The author includes a list of the songs in Bea's soundtrack, but her allusions to other books go unidentified, enjoyable Extra Credit Curveballs (as Bea's teacher would call them). Gets to the heart of middle school awkwardness like a sympathetic haiku. (Fiction. 9-13)
