by Vicki Grant
Tundra Books, 2023
ISBN 978-0-7352-7012-1
$23.99 (hc), 240 pp, ages 10 – 13
penguinrandomhouse.ca
When Yardley’s best friend—her grandmother, Gidge— receives a terminal diagnosis, Gidge decides to wrap up loose ends and plan her ending with the same vivacity and exuberance she thrived on her whole life. Gidge’s “to-do” list includes improving her karma by making amends through letters and visits with family, old friends, and enemies, as well as finding Yardley a new best friend. The problem is that Yardley doesn’t want a new best friend, and she doesn’t want Gidge to die. Journeying alongside her grandmother through these final adventures and going on her own adventures after her grandmother’s death, Yardley learns the strengths of her artistic theatre-focussed parents, the struggles of growing up, and the reality that people need community to celebrate the good times and help out through the bad. Yardley begins to develop her own independence and discovers that she is a strong contributor to her family and community, including at the Over Easy Vintage Emporium, a little shop that anchors the setting and contributes nostalgia and whimsy throughout the text. With a focus on the journey of life and not the ending, this story teaches readers that life is about relationships.
Classroom Connections: Use excerpts from a few chapters to read aloud descriptions of costume and vintage items for students to visualize and draw. Read other passages to prompt discussion about the importance of family, community, and kindness to others. Place in a classroom library and recommend to youth passionate about theatre, fashion, thrift stores, or who may be struggling with grief, friendships, or family. Reading Comprehension Strategies: Making Connections, Visualizing and Transforming.
Review by Amanda Parker.
This review is featured in Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Fall 2024 issue.