Izzy Kline Has Butterflies - by Beth Ain (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

So many moments, both big and small, make up a year. Beth Ain chronicles them all in this heartwarming novel in verse, perfect for back to school--no matter what that looks like!

It's a new school year, and Izzy Kline is having some feelings. There are plenty of reasons for the butterflies in her stomach to flap their wings. There's a new girl in her class who might be a new best friend. The whole grade is performing Free to Be . . . You and Me--and Izzy really wants a starring role. And new changes at home are making Izzy feel like her family is falling apart. First-day jitters, new friends, an audition . . . How many butterfly problems can one kid take?

Review Quotes

"Beautiful and real. Once you've entered Izzy's head you won't want to leave." - Wendy Mass, New York Times bestselling author of The Candymakers

"A heartwarming story about life's happy moments, frightening flashes, and annoying boys." - Elly Swartz, author of Finding Perfect

"Captures the soap opera that is fourth grade with honesty, humor, and heart." -- Kirby Larson, Newbery-Honor Wunning author of Hattie Big Sky

"Charming... Recommended for middle grade readers who are graduating to chapter books and in search of characters to love." - Melanie Conklin, Kidliterati blog and author of Counting Thyme

"Bright and believable, just right for young middle graders." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Buoyant. Ain's verse format is ideally suited to the novel's examination of profound concepts while maintaining a lighthearted tone." - Booklist

"Izzy Kline takes readers through a year of vulnerability, self-searching, and triumph... Heartwarming." - Publishers Weekly

"A well-rounded portrait of a thoughtful and unique main character. Ain makes use of all a poet's tools--repetition, rhythm, rhyme, distillation, silence, and ambiguity... The authenticity of Izzy's voice demonstrates that fourth grade is fourth grade, no matter when." - The Horn Book

About the Author

Beth Ain grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where she and her best friend were free to finger-paint in the basement, and make plays, and get in and out of fights and hysterical fits of laughter, all to the soundtrack of Free to Be . . . You and Me. She is glad to have friends and family who encouraged her to be creative with her memories. She is the author of several books for children, including the Starring Jules series. She lives in Port Washington, New York, with her husband and two children. Visit her online at bethain.com.