Dear Sweet Pea
By Andrea Beach,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Thoughtful tale tackles middle grade, divorce, body image.
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What's the Story?
In DEAR SWEET PEA, Sweet Pea is dealing with a lot of changes in her life as seventh grade comes to a close. First and foremost, there's her parents' divorce, with her dad moving into a house two doors down on the same street, and Sweet Pea still adjusting to sharing her days of the week between her parents. There are also signs that things may be changing with her ex-BFF Kiera. Was Kiera just actually kind of nice to Sweet Pea for the first time since fourth grade? Then there's the odd request for a favor from Sweet Pea's neighbor, Miss Flora Mae, the local eccentric and advice columnist who has to go out of town for a few weeks. But what Sweet Pea learns, or thinks she learns while watering Miss Flora Mae's plants and collecting her mail, will bring about the biggest changes of all.
Is It Any Good?
Author Julie Murphy creates a believable main character with relatable problems, but this middle-grade debut suffers from a few plot holes, bland supporting characters, and overall lack of sparkle. Readers in the target age range will root for and empathize with Dear Sweet Pea as she negotiates big changes in her life, and they'll enjoy navigating the complexities of family and friendships along with her. Sweet Pea's voice is authentic but not very distinctive, and unfortunately the same can be said for a lot of the rest of the book, too: The setting, the other characters, some of the events all ring true but aren't especially unique.
That being said, there are a lot of positive messages to absorb about body image, self-esteem, sexual orientation, integrity, and honest communication. None of the characters are defined by any one aspect of their lives, bodies, or backgrounds, so it's a refreshing reminder that people are more than just one thing, especially more than just what they look like. It will also reassure younger readers that big changes can be scary, but those changes can be faced and overcome with support from family and friends.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Dear Sweet Pea shows a positive body image. How does Sweet Pea feel about her body? Why is it important for books, movies, videos, and other media to include people of different sizes, shapes, colors, or abilities?
Sweet Pea's dad politely points out when people make being gay or fat seem like a bad thing. How does he do that? Why is it important to try to point out when that happens?
What do you think of the way Sweet Pea answers letters asking for advice? If you wrote an advice column or blog, how would you answer the letters?
Book Details
- Author: Julie Murphy
- Genre: Emotions
- Topics: Friendship , Great Girl Role Models , Middle School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
- Publication date: October 1, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 288
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: October 28, 2019
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