Waiting for Normal
Paperback – Illustrated, January 26, 2010
HarperCollins · Paperback · January 26, 2010
School Library Journal Best Book * ALA Notable Children’s Book * New York Public Library’s “One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing” * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best * Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choice * Connecticut Book Award Winner * American Library Association Schneider Family Book Award Winner This poignant and joyful novel is filled with meaningful moments and emotional resonance.
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- Who it’s for
- A young reader’s longing for normal meets a family life that rarely stays in the middle.
- Themes
- Parental bipolar disorder, Parental neglect, Perseverance and hope
- Genres
- Depression & Mental Health, Stepfamily Stories, Growing Up
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Start with this bookAbout this book
School Library Journal Best Book * ALA Notable Children’s Book * New York Public Library’s “One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing” * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best * Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choice * Connecticut Book Award Winner * American Library Association Schneider Family Book Award Winner This poignant and joyful novel is filled with meaningful moments and emotional resonance. Addie is waiting for normal.
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But Addie's mother has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, her way or no way. Addie’s mother is bipolar, and she often neglects Addie. All-or-nothing never adds up to normal, and it can't bring Addie home, where she wants to be with her half-sisters and her stepfather. But Addie never stops hoping that one day, maybe, she'll find normal. “A heroine with spunk and spirit offers an inspiring lesson in perseverance and hope. First-rate.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Hope, Without Easy Answers
A young reader’s longing for normal meets a family life that rarely stays in the middle.
Come here for
- A tender story about neglect, hope, and the pull of home
- An emotionally resonant look at growing up around a parent’s bipolar disorder
Expect
- Painful moments balanced with joy
- A protagonist who keeps hoping
Where it sits
| Depression & Mental Health | 78% |
|---|---|
| Stepfamily Stories | 54% |
| Growing Up | 36% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Adoption Stories
- Stories About Divorce
- New Baby Stories
- Parent-Child Stories
Show all 8 publisher categories
- Sibling Stories
- Stepfamily Stories
- Friendship
- Homelessness & Poverty
- Authors
- Leslie Connor
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- January 26, 2010
- Format
- Paperback
- Theme
- Parental bipolar disorder · Parental neglect · Perseverance and hope
- Reading lane
- Adoption Stories