As Simple as It Seems - (Laura Geringer Books (Paperback)) by Sarah Weeks (Paperback)

About the Book

Verbena Colter knows she's bad news. How could she not be, with parents like hers? Her mother practically pickled her before she was even born. And her father was just plain mean. Verbie wishes she could be somebody, anybody other than who she is. Enter Pooch, a flatlander boy visiting for the summer.

From the Back Cover

Verbena Colter knows she's bad news.

Trouble from the get-go. How could she not be, with parents like hers? Her mother practically pickled her before she was even born, leaving Verbie to struggle with the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome. And her father was just plain mean. Verbie wishes she could be somebody, anybody other than who she is. Enter Pooch, a flatlander boy visiting for the summer. When Pooch and his mom rent the house next door, Verbie takes the opportunity to be someone else entirely. And what starts out as a game leads Verbie into a surprising and heartwarming journey of self-discovery.

Another gem from the author of So B. It.

Review Quotes

"Refreshing, offbeat characters. As the riddle of Heidi's life slowly unfolds, readers will be genuinely touched and surprised." - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)
"A remarkable novel. [Heidi's] cross-country journey is brave and daring and yields surprising results." - New York Times Book Review
"There are many passages that could jump-start a booktalk and get this into kids' hands." - School Library Journal
"Verbena is a character you will not want to leave. An endearing story, heartfelt, and buoyant." - Pam Munoz Ryan, author of ESPERANZA RISING
"Life and death weave together in strange ways one summer for twelve year old Verbena Colter. Sarah Weeks tells her story with warmth, grace, and deep compassion. A stunning novel about life's many complications and how we struggle to grow up, into ourselves." - Brian Selznick, author and Caldecott winning illustrator of THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET
"Young readers will recognize their struggles to grow and understand their own lives, while laughing, and crying along the way. Nothing simple here; just fine writing." - Avi, Newbery Medal-winning author of CRISPIN: THE CROSS OF LEAD
Praise for SO B. IT "Weeks has a distinctive voice that's all her own. Her fully dimensional characters are remarkable yet believable [and] the foreshadowing builds to a beautifully satisfying ending. This is lovely writing-real, touching, and pared cleanly down to the essentials." - ALA Booklist (starred review)