*Newbery Honor Book*
*Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor*
A candid and fierce middle grade novel about sisterhood and sexual abuse, by two-time Newbery Honor winner and #1 New York Times best seller Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, author of The War that Saved My Life Kirkus Prize FinalistBoston Globe Best Book of the YearHorn Book Fanfare Best Book of the YearSchool Library Journal Best Book of the YearBooklist Best Book of the YearKirkus Best Book of the YearBookPage Best Book of the YearNew York Public Library Best Book of the YearChicago Public Library Best Book of the YearALSC Notable Book "Fighting Words is raw, it is real, it is necessary, a must-read for children and their adults--a total triumph in all ways." --Holly Goldberg Sloan, New York Times bestselling author of Counting by 7s Ten-year-old Della has always had her older sister, Suki: When their mom went to prison, Della had Suki. When their mom's boyfriend took them in, Della had Suki. When that same boyfriend did something so awful they had to run
fast, Della had Suki. Suki is Della's own wolf--her protector. But who has been protecting Suki? Della might get told off for swearing at school, but she has always known how to keep quiet where it counts. Then Suki tries to kill herself, and Della's world turns so far upside down, it feels like it's shaking her by the ankles. Maybe she's been quiet about the wrong things. Maybe it's time to be loud.
In this powerful novel that explodes the stigma around child sexual abuse and leavens an intense tale with compassion and humor, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley tells a story about two sisters, linked by love and trauma, who must find their own voices before they can find their way back to each other.
"Della's matter-of-fact narration manages to be as funny and charming as it is devastatingly sad. . . . This is a novel about trauma [but] more than that, it's a book about resilience, strength and healing. For every young reader who decides to wait . . . there will be others for whom this is the exact book they need right now." --New York Times Book Review "One of the most important books ever written for kids."--Colby Sharp of Nerdy Book Club
"One for the history books."--Betsy Bird for A Fuse #8 Production/
SLJ"Gripping. Life-changing...I am awe-struck."--Donna Gephart, author of
Lily and Dunkin"Compassionate, truthful, and beautiful."--Elana K. Arnold, author of
Damsel"I am blown away. [This] may be Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's best work yet."--Barbara Dee, author of
Maybe He Just Likes You"A book that lets [kids] know they have never been alone. And never will be."--Kat Yeh, author of
The Truth About Twinkie Pie"Meets the criteria of great children's literature that [will] resonate with adults too."--Bitch Media
* "At once heartbreaking and hopeful."--Kirkus (starred review)
* "Honest [and] empowering...An important book for readers of all ages."--SLJ (starred review)
* "Sensitive[, ] deft, and vivid."--BCCB (starred review)
* "Prepare to read furiously."--Booklist (starred review)
* "An essential, powerful mirror and window for any reader."--PW (starred review)
* "Enlightening, empowering and--yes--uplifting."--BookPage (starred review)
* "Unforgettable."--The Horn Book (starred review)
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is the two-time Newbery Honor winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of several acclaimed middle grade novels, including Fighting Words, The War That Saved My Life, The War I Finally Won, and Jefferson's Sons. She and her husband have two grown children and live with their dog, several ponies, a highly opinionated mare, and a surplus of cats on a fifty-two acre farm in Bristol, Tennessee. Visit her at kimberlybrubakerbradley.com.
