Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World

By: Ashley Herring Blake

Narrated by: Chloe Cannon

In the wake of a destructive tornado, one girl develops feelings for another in this stunning, tender novel about emerging identity, perfect for fans of The Thing About Jellyfish.

When a tornado rips through town, 12-year-old Ivy Aberdeen's house is destroyed, and her family of five is displaced. Ivy feels invisible and ignored in the aftermath of the storm - and what's worse, her notebook filled with secret drawings of girls holding hands has gone missing.

Mysteriously, Ivy's drawings begin to reappear in her locker with notes from someone telling her to open up about her identity. Ivy thinks - and hopes - that this someone might be her classmate, another girl for whom Ivy has begun to develop a crush. Will Ivy find the strength and courage to follow her true feelings?

Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World exquisitely enriches the rare category of female middle-grade characters who like girls - and children's literature at large.

©2018 Ashley Herring Blake (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Filling a much-needed gap in middle grade literature, this story addresses not just the topic of a first crush, but also the invisibility frequently felt by middle children...Young readers will find Ivy's challenges very real and will sympathize with her choices, both good and bad." (School Library Journal)

"This is an emotionally sensitive and elegantly written novel about loss and the first stirrings of love." (Publishers Weekly)

"Ivy's story is no mere niche-filler in LGBTQ middle-grade realism--it's a standard-setter." (Kirkus Reviews)

Wow!

Great book, should be required reading for all middle schoolers with understanding parents. Highly recommended!

Wonderful book

I love this book so much. I definitely would change the ending because I want a happy ending where thy get together. But over all it is a fantastic book

2019 Stonewall Honor: True Work of Art - Easy Flow

IVY ABERDEEN'S LETTER TO THE WORLD is a great read from the attention-grabbing start to the satisfying ending. Tucked between is a year in the lives of the Aberdeen family, their friends, and their community - individuals who are beautifully flawed and deeply connected. Over the months, life does the things it does - bringing pressures, quirks, & curves.

Writer Ashley Herring Blake focuses on twelve-year-old Ivy Aberdeen - a talented artist, suddenly aware of adolescent stirrings. Blake uses colors and textures to paint the story. She dabs vivid metaphors here and there that pop right off the page. Her brush reveals the inspiration and drive behind Ivy's creative process. And she lovingly illuminates Ivy's path to self-discovery and acceptance.

Ivy is a very real and memorable character. At times confused, lonely, angry, affectionate, hopeful, uncertain, confident, she is a collage of emotion. The piece de resistance is not just the unveiling of Ivy, but the impression she makes on the audience. We are already in her corner in the first chapter, accepting her and cheering her on. By the end, we're not just fond of Ivy - we've grown to cherish her!

I listened to IVY ABERDEEN'S LETTER TO THE WORLD on Audible.com. Narrator Chloe Cannon is engaging as she brings an entire town of characters to life. The production has excellent quality and continuity. I really enjoyed the experience.

My response to this book is to HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT for middle school and above (gr. 6-adult). Whether you flip through physical pages, download it to a screen, or listen on audio, my advice is simple - GET IT!

Powerful

Whether or not you can relate to the main character's journey towards liking girls, readers/listeners can relate to this powerful story of self-acceptance. As an adult listening to this, I can say it is truly a powerful story that made me cry. It made me wish I had been that strong when I was that age. I highly recommend this book.

A-MA-ZING

I love the story and the characters. Very inspirational. I recommend it to many other middle schoolers like me.

Most awesome book ever.

This is such a good book. It made me cry at parts. I even wrote poetry about this book. As a gay middle schooler can relate to her struggle. I went by not knowing what I like or who exactly I love. I found this in my school's library and loved it. at first, it was boring but I figured id give it a shot. I recommend this book to people who love a good romance story and the LGBTQ+ community.

Overall best book ever

I loved it so much! I will probably go to the next books. It did make me tear up a little ( a lot )
But overall it was the best book ever!!❤️

Beautiful. Heartwrenching and Heartwarming

A touching story about a girl learning how to love and what it means to grow up. Beautifully written, the imagery filling of the pages

Incredible Reader, sweet story

The reader is PERFECT for this book. Sweet, warm voice, inspired intonation.

Overall I liked the story. I'm used to books for older kids (I'm 39, and read a lot of high school age) so maybe that is why I found this one a tad too spell-it-out. The Moral Of The Story is VERY clear, and stated repeatedly in about two dozen different ways. That said, the characters and beautiful language are strong enough that they shine past the unsubtle Teaching Moments. I really liked Ivy, and as a girl who likes girls I found her particular mix of confusion, timidity, and joy totally believable. And it was so refreshing that she didn't suffer any homophobia from the adults in her life!

AMAZING

I listened to this book with my 10 year old son and we loved it. It was different than any book we had listened to and had a great storyline and moral to the story! It is a perfect modern coming of age story.