*Newbery Honor Book*
*Odyssey Honor Audiobook*****
A candid and fierce middle grade novel about sisterhood and sexual
abuse, by two-time Newbery Honor winner and #1 New York Times best
seller Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, author of The War that Saved My Life
Kirkus Prize Finalist
Boston Globe Best Book of the Year
Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of the Year
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Booklist Best Book of the Year
Kirkus Best Book of the Year
BookPage Best Book of the Year
New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
Golden Kite Honor Book
Rise: Feminist Book Project Selection
ALSC Notable Book
Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Choices Selection
Junior Library Guild Selection
Fighting Words is raw, it is real, it is necessary, a must-read for
children and their adults--a total triumph in all ways. --Holly Goldberg
Sloan, New York Times bestselling author of Counting by 7s
Ten-year-old Della has always had her older sister, Suki: When their mom
went to prison, Della had Suki. When their mom's boyfriend took them in,
Della had Suki. When that same boyfriend did something so awful they had
to run fast, Della had Suki. Suki is Della's own wolf--her protector.
But who has been protecting Suki? Della might get told off for swearing
at school, but she has always known how to keep quiet where it counts.
Then Suki tries to kill herself, and Della's world turns so far upside
down, it feels like it's shaking her by the ankles. Maybe she's been
quiet about the wrong things. Maybe it's time to be loud.
In this powerful novel that explodes the stigma around child sexual
abuse and leavens an intense tale with compassion and humor, Kimberly
Brubaker Bradley tells a story about two sisters, linked by love and
trauma, who must find their own voices before they can find their way
back to each other.
Della's matter-of-fact narration manages to be as funny and charming
as it is devastatingly sad. . . . This is a novel about trauma and the
scars it leaves on bodies, minds and hearts. But more than that, it's a
book about resilience, strength and healing. --New York Times Book
Review
**One of the most important books ever written for kids.--**Colby Sharp
of Nerdy Book Club
**One for the history books....One of the best of the year.--**Betsy
Bird for A Fuse #8 Production/SLJ
**Gripping. Life-changing...I am awe-struck.--**Donna Gephart, author of
Lily and Dunkin
**Compassionate, truthful, and beautiful.--**Elana K. Arnold, author of
Damsel
**I am blown away. [This] may be Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's best work
yet.--**Barbara Dee, author of Maybe He Just Likes You
**A book that lets [kids] know they have never been alone. And never
will be.--**Kat Yeh, author of The Truth About Twinkie Pie
**Meets the criteria of great children's literature that [will]
resonate with adults too.--**Bitch Media
*** At once heartbreaking and hopeful.--**Kirkus (starred review)
*** Honest [and] empowering...An important book for readers of all
ages.--**SLJ (starred review)
*** Sensitive[, ] deft, and vivid.--**BCCB (starred review)
*** Prepare to read furiously.--**Booklist (starred review)
*** An essential, powerful mirror and window for any reader.--**PW
(starred review)
*** Enlightening, empowering and--yes--uplifting.--**BookPage
(starred review)
*** Unforgettable.--**The Horn Book (starred review)
