Halfway Normal

"In writing this remarkable novel, Barbara Dee has performed an amazing feat. She has traveled to places you hope you will never have to go and then drawn a lovely, heartbreaking, warm, funny, and ultimately hopeful map of the way back home."--Jordan Sonnenblick "Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie " "Readers will feel with her as Norah struggles with how, when, and to whom she should tell her story--if at all. The moment that really sings is when Norah realizes that there are some life experiences that change you forever, and that's not always a bad thing. Dee, whose acknowledgments hint at family experience with childhood cancer, does an exceptional job accurately depicting Norah's struggles in a way that is translatable to those with varied understanding of illness... A powerful story not only about illness, but about accepting yourself for who you are--no matter the experiences that shaped you."--Kirkus, Starred Review "Kirkus Reviews " "A powerful story about surviving and thriving after serious illness."--School Library Journal, Starred Review "School Library Journal " The authenticity of Norah's story can be credited to the author's own experiences as the mother of a cancer patient.But this is not a book about cancer; rather, it's about the process of moving forward in its wake. Readers who appreciate well-wrought portrayals of transformative middle-school experiences, such as Rebecca Stead's Goodbye Stranger (2015) will find a story in a similar spirit here.--Booklist "Booklist " "Barbara Dee has an unfailing sense of the dynamics of middle school social life. Spot-on portrayals of friends and family relationships frame a powerful main character who's determined to find her way back. Halfway Normal has a brave, kind heart--as tender and triumphant as the main character herself."--Karen Romano Young "Hundred Percent "