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All the Impossible Things

All the Impossible Things

Current price: $17.84
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Publisher:
Roaring Brook Press
ISBN:
9781250202864
Pages:
384
Usually Ships in 1 to 5 Days

It’s impossible not to love this story full of heart and a touch of magical realism. Foster kid Ruby wants nothing more than for her mom to overcome her addiction and act like a real mother. After some time, she learns to trust the Grooves, her foster parents, and grows attached to the giant tortoise in their petting zoo. As Ruby struggles to cross off all the impossible things from a list she and her late grandmother made, she learns the true meaning of family. A beautiful, forceful book. Ruby will bowl you over.

Jennifer Kraar, City of Asylum Bookstore, Pittsburgh, PA
Fall 2019 Kids Indie Next List

Description

A bit of magic, a sprinkling of adventure, and a whole lot of heart collide in All the Impossible Things, Lindsay Lackey's extraordinary middle-grade novel about a young girl navigating the foster care system in search of where she belongs.

Meet Ruby "Red" Byrd—a young, unique girl facing the turbulence of life while grappling with a powerful, mysterious connection to the wind.

As Red navigates the unpredictable storms of the foster care system, her powers resonate with her inner turmoil—intensifying with her fear, anger, and confusion. We follow her journey as she's tossed into the loving arms of the Grooves, an unconventional couple who run a quaint petting zoo, amid a symphony of quirky creatures and unexplained gifts of their own.

This newfound idyllic sanctuary is soon threatened by a familiar tempest—her chaotic mother. Longing for familial love and caught in a maelstrom of emotions, Red's story is a challenge to master her incredible abilities, surpass the impossible, and find the family she craves.

About the Author

Lindsay Lackey's debut novel, All the Impossible Things, was named a Best Book of 2019 by the New York Public Library, the Denver Library, and Children’s Book Review. While conducting research for her second novel, Farther Than the Moon, Lindsay fell in love with space and NASA history. Born and raised in Colorado, she now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and their spoiled dog.

Praise for All the Impossible Things

An Indies Introduce Selection
A New York Public Library Best Books of 2019 Selection
A 2020 WILLA Literary Award Finalist in Children's Fiction & Nonfiction

“A gorgeous story about the joy that’s possible when we allow hope into our hearts. Wise and wondrous, this is truly a novel to cherish.” —Katherine Applegate, New York Times–bestselling author of Wishtree and The One and Only Ivan

"A story to tug at your heartstrings and bring a little magic too!" - 2020 WILLA Literary Award judging panel

"Lackey tackles difficult topics including addiction and loss with infinite gentleness." - School Library Journal, starred review

"A beautiful, nuanced story of how love and grief can coexist." - Mariama J. Lockington, author of For Black Girls Like Me

"An emotional tale filled with unique characters, heartbreaking realities, and a touch of magical realism." - Booklist

"Lackey’s compassionately drawn story ponders hope, grief, and found family, warming the heart while avoiding an overly neat conclusion." - Publishers Weekly

"Painful to read—in a good way." - Kirkus

"Lackey deftly draws readers into Red’s tumultuous emotional journey; with its strong narrative voice, interspersed with letters and journal entries in Red’s own words, the text resonates with a mixture of hope and hurt, strength and vulnerability." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books