Book Review of August or Forever
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The Children’s Book Review
August or Forever
Written by Ona Gritz
Ages 9 + | 108 Pages
Publisher: Fitzroy Books | ISBN-13: 9781646033072
What to Expect: Sisterhood, family, secrets, emotional intelligence, art.
Molly loves her sister Alison, but the biggest sadness in her life is that Alison lives so far away—the sisters share video calls, postcards, and letters, but Molly wants Alison in her real life, in her home, in her space. When Alison comes to visit for the summer, Molly still isn’t happy—instead, she’s worried. What will they do together? Will her sister enjoy spending time with her? And why must her stay be so short? Molly is determined to find a way to make Alison stay forever, but her schemes may lead to more heartbreak than happiness, and she will need to learn what it truly means to be a sister.
Written from the overwhelmingly convincing point of view of a ten-year-old girl’s perspective, August or Forever takes readers on a rollercoaster ride along the hopes, desires, and fears of a little sister desperate to get closer to a big sister she admires. Molly’s intelligence and vulnerability are realistic and endearing, and readers will learn alongside her as she makes mistakes and matures. The story also gives readers a glimpse of the joys and challenges of living in a non-traditional family, exploring topics like divorce and loss.
August or Forever is touching, funny, and engrossing—a perfect sisterhood novel.
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About the Author
Ona Gritz is the author of two previous children’s books, including Tangerines and Tea, My Grandparents and Me, a Nick Jr. Family Magazine Best Alphabet Book of the Year and Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine Teacher’s Pick. Her essays and poems have been published widely. Recent honors include two Notable mentions in The Best American Essays, a winning entry in The Poetry Archive Now: Wordview 2020 project, two 2021 Pushcart nominations, and a 2022 Best of the Net nomination.
Learn more about her work at onagritz.com.
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