Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy

Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy

The first middle grade novel from Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’ (now a popular Netflix film), is a funny, heartwarming story perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead, Ali Benjamin, and Holly Goldberg Sloan. Four starred reviews!

Patricia “Sweet Pea” DiMarco wasn’t sure what to expect when her parents announced they were getting a divorce. She never could have imagined that they would have the “brilliant” idea of living in nearly identical houses on the same street. In the one house between them lives their eccentric neighbor Miss Flora Mae, the famed local advice columnist behind “Miss Flora Mae I?”

Dividing her time between two homes is not easy. And it doesn’t help that at school, Sweet Pea is now sitting right next to her ex–best friend, Kiera, a daily reminder of the friendship that once was. Things might be unbearable if Sweet Pea didn’t have Oscar—her new best friend—and her fifteen-pound cat, Cheese.

Then one day Flora leaves for a trip and asks Sweet Pea to forward her the letters for the column. And Sweet Pea happens to recognize the handwriting on one of the envelopes.

What she decides to do with that letter sets off a chain of events that will forever change the lives of Sweet Pea DiMarco, her family, and many of the readers of “Miss Flora Mae I?”

• Navigating Divorce: Sweet Pea’s parents have the brilliant idea of living on the same street, in nearly identical houses, with only their eccentric neighbor living between them.
• A Secret Identity: When the famed local advice columnist leaves town, Sweet Pea is put in charge of her mail—and accidentally takes over her job, too.
• Friendship Hurdles: As if two homes weren’t enough, Sweet Pea is now stuck sitting next to her ex-best friend Kiera, and a letter to the advice column might make things better... or much, much worse.
• Coming of Age: A funny and heartfelt story about figuring out family, friendship, and your place in the world, with a little help from a new best friend and a fifteen-pound cat named Cheese.

“Murphy creates a wonderfully realistic portrait of tween life in her first middle-grade novel…Sweet Pea is a treasure of a protagonist.”   — ALA Booklist (starred review) “Endearing and funny… An excellent blend of eccentricity, humor, genuine sweetness, and mild drama.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “With gentle humor, ageless wisdom, and charming, genuine characters who represent a diversity of experiences, Murphy’s novel offers all the emotional highs and lows of pitch-perfect middle grade.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Murphy succeeds yet again at crafting a touching, quotable coming-of-age story, this time exploring divorce, shifting friendships, crushes, queerness, and much more."  — School Library Journal (starred review) “Full of cringe-worthy but funny seventh grade moments… [there’s also] plenty of room for more serious reflection about the people around her in her small Texas town, a cast diverse in ethnicity, sexual orientation, and body size as well as in attitudes.” — Horn Book Magazine “Successfully handles tough topics with humor.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books “Dear Sweet Pea is a truly irresistible story about a family in flux, brimming with humor and heart.” — Rebecca Stead, Newbery Award-winning author of When You Reach Me Praise for PUDDIN’: “Julie Murphy has created the platonic love story of a lifetime. I am wildly in love with Puddin’.” — Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Leah on the Offbeat and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda Praise for PUDDIN’: “Murphy’s plot brims with unlikely friendships, irresistible romance, fabulous fat acceptance, and a kick-ass ending. Buoying.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Praise for RAMONA BLUE: “An exquisite, thoughtful exploration of the ties that bind and the fluidity of relationships, sexuality, and life.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Praise for RAMONA BLUE: “Julie Murphy knows a thing or two about navigating the worlds of girls on the brink of self-discovery.” — Booklist (starred review) Praise for DUMPLIN’: “Will’s singular voice compels readers to think about all that goes into building-and destroying-self-esteem...Splendid” — Booklist (starred review) Praise for DUMPLIN’: “Murphy...successfully makes every piece of the story—Dolly Parton superfans, first love, best-friend problems, an unlikely group of pageant entrants, female solidarity, self-acceptance, and Willowdean’s complicated relationship with the mother...-count, weaving them together to create a harmonious, humorous, and thought-provoking whole.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Julie Murphy splits her time between North Texas and Kansas with her husband, who loves her, and her cats, who tolerate her. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author and coauthor of over twenty books for all ages including Dumplin’ (now a Netflix original film) and the Christmas Notch series cowritten with her best friend, Sierra Simone. When Julie isn’t writing, she’s hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, discovering a new hobby that she will soon discard, and planning her next travel adventure.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780062473080
ISBN 10	0062473085
Title	Dear Sweet Pea
Author	Julie Murphy
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Year published	2021-02-04
Number of pages	288
Prizes	Winner of IndieBound Indie Next List Top Ten Pick (United States)., Winner of Amazon.com Best Books of the Year (United States)., Winner of Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book (United States)., Winner of Texas Lone Star Reading List (United States).
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.