I was honestly a little shocked by the direction this book took. Shocked, a little grossed out, and kind of disbelieving. Two young girls make a wild decision to take charge of their lives when tragedy befalls their caregiver. Can you guess what happens?

Stella and Angel's emotional lives were very well written and the story was moving, but I really couldn't get over the strangeness of what they did and how hard Pennypacker had to work to make it okay for the reader. Eventually the story moves on from the dark and creepy into more familiar territory of sweet and heartwarming. That was nice. The old man character George was super nice as well, but I kept thinking he must be the most credulous homeowner on the planet.

Recommended for book groups, as there's lots to talk about here. Here are some sample questions:

Does any kid really love cleaning as much as Stella does?

What would YOU have done if you were Angel or Stella?

Why do you think Stella's mom is always running away?

Did this book make you super hungry for blueberries or what? ( )

children's fiction; middle-grade. If a charming story can be concocted from a book that begins with the clandestine disposal of a dead body, Sara Pennypacker (of the award-winning Clementine series) is the woman to write it. Stella's "restless" mother reminds me of Jeanette Wall's mom in The Glass Castle--poor eleven year old Stella is left in the care of her great aunt Louise, along with 12-y.o. disgruntled foster child Angel. The two spend most of the summer taking care of themselves amidst a web of lies, unanticipated responsibilities, and budding friendship. ( )

Stella just moved in with her great-aunt Louise and Louise's foster child, a difficult girl named Angel who's about Stella's age. They live in a cottage on Cape Cod, and Louise tends to four other cottages as vacationers come and go. But shortly after Stella arrives, Louise kicks the bucket, leaving the two girls with a dilemma. Neither of them has another place to go - can they keep Louise's death a secret and manage the cottages by themselves all summer...without anyone knowing they're alone?

I wouldn't be surprised to see this one snag a Newbery honor this year. It deals insightfully with difficult topics like broken families, foster care, death, hard friendships; but somehow it's not depressing. In fact, it's even funny.

This is not only a great choice for fans of Clementine. It's also perfect for anybody who likes a good story. ( )

Eleven-year-old Stella misses her (unreliable) mom, but she loves it at great-aunt Louise’s house. Louise lives on Cape Cod, where Stella hopes her mom will someday come and settle down. The only problem? Angel, the foster kid Louise has taken in. The two girls live together but there’s no way they’ll ever be friends.Then Louise suddenly passes away one morning—and Stella and Angel decide not to tell anyone. Now they have to depend on each other for survival. Now they are forced to trust each other with the biggest secret ever.With great empathy and humor, Sara Pennypacker tells the story of two very different girls who unexpectedly become each other’s true family.

After her "flighty" mother walks out on her again, Stella is sent to live on Cape Cod with her great aunt Louise. Just as she is starting to settle into her life with her great aunt, Louise unexpectedly dies. Stella and Angel, the other foster child taken in by Louise, decide their best bet is to tell no one. They bury Louise's body in the backyard garden and go about living on their own, hoping they can hide Louise's death long enough for Stella's mother or Angel's aunt can become an eligible safe guardian.

I cannot stress enough how disturbing and dangerous I found this book to be. To suggest that two pre-teens are capable of independence for weeks on end is unsettling. While many children might read this book and think nothing of it or simply thank their lucky stars for their own good luck in parents, I cannot help but think of that small percent of children who will read it and think they can cope on their own. Given that the main characters are foster children, I could easily see a scenario where children in foster homes pick this book up and take away the thought that survival on their own is a better option than yet another home. Indeed, Stella and Angel do fairly well for themselves and the book has a very "all's well that ends well" feel to it.

Perhaps I am overly worried for nothing, but I cannot write a review of this book without including these fears. Pennypacker is a talented writer and the book is lovely to read in terms of prose, pacing, imagery, metaphors, characterizations, setting, etc. If the intended audience were adults, I'd be a-okay with it. As it is, I have too much concern to wholeheartedly recommend it to the target group of tweens. ( )