Violets Are Blue
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-5344-6918-1
Paperback ISBN: 978-1534469198
Also available in audio editions
2021
Ages 9-13, Grades 4-8
About the Book:
For seventh grader Wren, life is suddenly full of big changes: her parents’ divorce and Dad’s remarriage, her move with Mom to a new town. So she distracts herself with a new obsession: watching special effects makeup videos by internet sensation Cat FX. Of all the fantasy characters Cat FX re-creates, Wren’s favorite is the mermaid, but somehow she can’t duplicate Cat FX’s technique. Is something missing?
When Mom insists Wren pull herself away from her laptop, Wren agrees to do makeup for the middle school production of the musical Wicked. Soon she’s so involved with the show, her new friendship with Poppy, and dealing with Kai’s crush that she isn’t focused on Mom’s disappearances. Or on the weird lock on Mom’s bedroom door. Or on the number of pill bottles in Mom’s medicine cabinet.
But when Wren can’t ignore Mom’s behavior any longer, she sets out to find Cat FX. Will Cat FX reveal the secret of the mermaid–and possibly something about real life?
From the author of the acclaimed Maybe He Just Likes You and My Life in the Fish Tank comes a moving and relatable novel about secrets, family, and the power of forgiveness.
Honors and Lists:
- Winner of New Jersey’s 2024 Garden State Teen Book Award (Grades 6-8)
- School Library Journal’s Best Middle Grade Books 2021
- A Junior Library Guild selection
- A 2021 Project Lit selection
- 2023 California Recommended Literature List
- 2023-2024 Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award
- 2023-24 Kentucky Bluegrass Award
- 2023-2024 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Grades 6-8)
- 2023-2024 Louisiana Readers’ Choice Award
- Kansas NEA Reading Circle List Junior Title
- 2022 Texas Lone Star Annotated List
- A 2021 Cybils Awards Finalist (Middle Grade Fiction)
- A Mighty Girl’s 2021 Books of the Year
- SLJ Teen Librarian Toolbox’s Favorite Reads of 2021
Press:
- Interview in Publishers Weekly
- Read my guest post (“Knowing and Not Knowing”) for School Library Journal’s Teen Librarian Toolbox.
- Cover Reveal on Nerdy Book Club
Reviews:
“Mysterious actions elegantly unfold in Dee’s well-crafted story, which deftly addresses heavy topics such as parental separation and opioid addiction.” —School Library Journal’s Best Books 2021 (Middle Grade)
“Dee again successfully tackles tough topics, making them relatable for middle-grade readers.” —Booklist
“A touching, realistic story about a mother-daughter relationship and its ups and downs.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Dee’s frequently poignant middle grade novel depicts the ways that both adults and children can feel out of control … With flawed, realistic characters and dynamics.” —Publishers Weekly
“A nuanced story that tackles tough issues with compassion and grace.” —A Mighty Girl’s 2021 Books of the Year
“Barbara Dee is writing some of the best middle grade out there. A great read.” —SLJ’s Teen Librarian Toolbox
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-5344-6918-1
Paperback ISBN: 978-1534469198
Also available in audio editions
2021
Ages 9-13, Grades 4-8