One thing that has not changed is Rebecca Stead's insight into children's minds, hearts, and worries. This is a middle-grade must-read! Rebecca Stead has written a novel that captures the essence of middle-grade worry and unpacks anxiety, divorce, homophobia, and family.

Bea's father is getting remarried to another man and while Bea is overexcited about gaining a sister, her new soon-to-be relation isn't sharing the excitement. With wedding plans underway and stories emerging of a homophobic uncle, Bea is learning that relationships aren't as straightforward as she thought.

Rebecca Stead weaves us in and out of Bea's past through stories that illuminate her anxiety and we get to know a young woman who with the support of her family is learning how to cope with her anxiety and navigate the intricacies of growing up.

Rebecca Stead is so deft at writing about emotions—and creating suspense around them, those simmering tensions among characters. I so appreciated the depictions of anger (in a kid), forgiveness (of others, of yourself), divorce (loving parents), friendship (Angus, what a good guy!), and even eczema (I hadn't seen this in a book before). Most of all, I appreciated the love, comfort, and stability in Bea's world from those closest to her. She's a character who "reads" adults and friends with such acuity and draws us into everyday fifth grade, with all its little heartbreaks (and joys). Thank you for the chance to read it!

A five star review for a five star author--seriously, Rebecca Stead's voice and storytelling is always such a gem.

Rebecca Stead has a wonderful skill when it comes to expressing the way emotions manifest themselves when we're hardly aware we're feeling them. I think that's why her preadolescent characters are interesting to adults. We understand what she's describing.

BUT I wasn't drawn in to this book. I would read, put it down, and forget about it for a long time. It wasn't a story that made me want to stay. There wasn't the interest of mystery, as there was in When You Reach Me.

I was provided an ARC court my review #NetGalley

The List of Things that Will Not Change is an excellent book about modern day families. Beatrice was eight when her parents told her they were getting a divorce. They gave her a green notebook titled "The List of Things That Will Not Change." First on the list is " Mom loves you more than anyththing, always." followed by "Dad loves you more than anything, always." It was hard to change houses but Bea got used to that, and the fact that her Dad is gay. Now she's in fifth grade and some things are starting to change. Her Dad is getting married. Bea is thrilled, her Mom is happy, and she's super excited to learn that she'll be gaining a sister - Jesse's daughter, Sonia. Bea visits her counselor, Miriam, every week to talk about all the changes in her life. Bea hated it at first but grows to enjoy her talks and the sour gummy gets at each session. As the wedding draws closer Bea becomes more excited about meeting Sonia. She helps plan the wedding and tries hard to make 100 on her spelling test. She's also working on a project with her two friends to make butter for their authentic colonial breakfast. But things start going wrong, and actions from her past begin to bother her. She's also horrified to learn that not everyone is as accepting of Dad and Jesse's marriage as her family. Fortunately she has a great support system to help her work through everything that's going on and the end result is touching as well as heartbreaking.

Fans of Rebecca Stead will be thrilled with this book. Its presented for middle school but I really enjoyed it as an adult. There are a lot of things that older kids can relate to and Stead's writing style is very clear and mature. This would be a great book for a young book club or for an adult/child to read - lots of food for though and discussion. I read it in one sitting and literally laughed, cried and couldn't put it down. I will get this book for our library as soon as it becomes available. Thank you for the chance to read the ARC!

Bea's parents have gotten a divorce, but she knows that they will always love her. That's the first thing written in her notebook, where she keeps a list of things that will not change. Her father plans to marry his boyfriend Jesse, and Bea is thrilled. She likes Jesse and hopes that Jesse's daughter will be the sister she always wanted. As the wedding day approaches, Bea will learn that it takes a lot to create a new family.

Rebecca Stead has a fantastic eleven-year-old voice. I could see this as Bea's perspective, including the asides she has in her storytelling, the things she links together as important, and the aspects she notices without realizing she does. She has eczema, which I don't often see mentioned outright in novels, as well as anxiety and regular therapy sessions. She isn't a perfect child, lashing out when upset and hiding the things she does wrong. At the same time, she is a good person and tries so hard to follow through with what she knows she has to do. We see her worry times and how she applies the lessons she learns from her therapist, which is a fantastic thing for children to read about. Therapy isn't frightening then, and children will understand why it's such an important tool for many people.

In addition, we have very real concerns facing children. Her parents divorced amicably, and do work hard to maintain that relationship for Bea's sake. A lot of the split is because Bea's father is gay, and didn't want to continue pretending to be what he wasn't to maintain a marriage. Jesse had been in the same position and had a harder time coming out to his family. This is an unfortunate reality for so many people, and it doesn't magically go away just because he's found the man he wants to marry. Families are often fraught with problems, even when they're as loving as Bea's is. I really did enjoy seeing the everyday struggles that she went through, and how she worked her way to a solution. The lessons she learns are real ones, and even adults can learn them, too.

Bea is a middle schooler who lives with her mom and her dad, but in two different places. Bea has some issues that seem to be indicative of ASD, so she has trouble recognizing appropriate ways to express her emotions as well as understanding other people's emotions. But she has a strong network of people who love her and a list of things that will not change, because change is hard! And lots of things are changing in this book. First of all, Bea's dad is getting married to his partner, which brings a new sister into the picture. Bea is beyond delighted to have a new sister, but the new sister isn't quite as tickled pink. Bea is also struggling with some guilt over an incident that happened quite some time ago with her cousin and she has to work out how things are going to go with that. This is a lovely story of resilience and family. I think the middle graders are going to love this one.

If you liked From Dogfish To Night Owl this will be right up your alley. Bea is such a fleshed out character with her worries and anxiety and all her feels. I loved her.

The List of Things That Will Not Change is another charming book by author Rebecca Stead. As a middle school librarian, one of my favorite books to read and recommend is Stead's When You Reach Me. I was very excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley, and was not disappointed! Bea, the main character, has faced a lot of personal change and growth since her parent's divorce. Bea keeps a notebook with a list of things that will not change, which helps to ground her in the safe knowledge of her parent's love for her. Now she is navigating her dad's upcoming marriage to Jesse, and her excitement over gaining a sister, Jesse's daughter Sonia. With a great supporting cast of characters, we get to experience Bea's world and watch her navigate friendships, family dynamics, and learning to take responsibility for her actions. I will highly recommend this book to my students.

A marvelous, clear, bright stream of a book. As someone who was in many ways a 1980-ish version of Bea - minus the summer home, therapist, demonstrative father - I felt connected to her & cared about what happened to her more than I expected.
I’m not going to spoil this story with quotes or a synopsis: Bea’s story is built bit by bit, and as one reads, one does so without being distracted by the way the story is told, a rare trait in middle-grade fiction. Stead never talks down to her audience or sugar coats an unpleasantness.
Bea is imperfect and makes mistakes; she panics and lashes out; she is utterly believable and Stead does a brilliant job of telling her story. I can’t recommend this highly enough: it is a satisfying, emotional, flawless novel that I know I will both recommend and reread.

This copy was received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead is a wonderful children's middle-grade book. The author has won many awards in children's fiction, and I can see why. 

The List of Things That Will Not Change is told from the perspective of the main character, Bea, and what happens in her life when her parents decide to divorce. The book speaks on many levels whether it's family, the effects of divorce, new relationships, tolerance, friendships, and forgiveness.

Bea's parents give her a notebook when they tell her they are divorcing and where they have written a list of things that will not change for her. It's a great tool to use for children going through similar experiences to provide some stability and comfort.

My favorite character was Miriam. Being a counselor myself, I could identify with her strategies and her ability to nudge Bea into different thinking and exploring her feelings. Miriam had a calmness and grace that I admired. The techniques she used and the conversations she had with Bea could be used in counseling sessions with children. I also liked the relationship between Bea and Sheila, her babysitter and soon-to-be aunt. There were an easiness and gentleness that shined through in their interactions.

I found myself highlighting little nuggets of dialogue or perspective that spoke about life and family, especially when Jesse said, "If you think about it, Bea, life is like a trip. A very long one. And what matters most is the people you travel with." The explanation of the sound of corn growing, first mentioned at the beginning of the book and explained at the end, was done brilliantly. I won't spoil it here, so you'll have to read about it to understand! 

This is a great book to add to your library, whether you are a child or an adult. The author created a storyline that touched on many facets of life and created well-developed and deep characters that brought the various themes to life. 

This is a must-read story.

#NetGalley @RHCBEducators #TheListOfThingsThatWillNotChange

Thanks, NetGalley, for the advanced copy. Rebecca Stead has written so many characters I want to invite over for dinner and, after reading this book, my guest list has grown a bit! Who wouldn't want a friendship with Angus? Or a babysitter like Sheila? Or a conversation with Bea, because she's brave and honest and so open-hearted. What a comforting book to honor the constant - change.

Rebecca Stead does it again. This is a quiet story, in many ways, but like Stead's other works, it is deeply impactful. Beautifully rendered characters, an important story for kids to read.

Gay marriage has been explored before in middle grade books, most notably Richard Peck’s THE BEST MAN. Here though the young protagonist is a female. Bea’s parents have been divorced for two years. She has become accustomed to life in two different homes. You learn early on that Bea is looking forward to the marriage of her dad to another man.

The story is a quiet one with most of the plot relayed through reminiscing about the past. You’ll be introduced to other characters who have made a big impact on Bea, including her counselor/ therapist Miriam. You’ll also learn of events that still bother Bea deep down, ones she hopes to resolve by the wedding day.

Many of the chapters are short and they each bring understanding to Bea and her family. An interesting read for sure, but for me it didn’t quite surpass my two favorite stories from Rebecca Stead—Liar & Spy and When You Reach Me.
Five more Things to Like about: The List of Things That Will Not Change

1. First person narration is a tough one to pull off, but here it is done without a hitch. It’s like Bea is sitting in your living room telling you her story. A kid voice the whole way.
2. The beginning of this novel is revisited at the end. The sound of corn growing provides the bond.
3. Bea’s therapist was my favorite character. She always had the right words to address each of Bea’s concerns, helping her open up more along the way.
4. Many kids will find familiarity with the divorce theme and how Bea copes.
5. Bea has a troublesome skin condition known as eczema. I’ve come across many kids dealing with it and this story should help them realize they are not alone.

We are now living in times of tremendous uncertainty.  Many of us and our young reading buddies wonder what will remain the same and in what ways our lives will change indelibly once we are on the other side.  While the subject of this fine novel is not Covid 19, but divorce and life afterwards for protagonist Bea, some elements may well resonate.


When her parents divorce, Bea is given a notebook.  In it she will write about the things that will not change.  Middle grade readers will learn along with Bea that some things remain the same while others evolve.  They will spend time in this rich story and hopefully come to see that change, even when not asked for, can help to make us who we are.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a very, well written read from a child's POV on her life when her Mom and Dad were together, and then they weren't. Coping mechanisms, counseling, feelings, thoughts, this touches on all of it. It felt so real what Bea goes through in life with all the changes, but it is so important to also remember and make a list of what won't ever change, focus on constants when changes overwhelm.
Her Dad was getting married to another man, she was so excited and happy, she loved Jesse and he had a daughter, so that meant she got an insta sister which thrilled her.
She also found out not everyone accepts same sex relationships, and felt bad when the wedding had a few not so good moments, but it didn't stop them from making the wedding a happy event.
Her friends, she found were true friends through thick and thin, her mom and dad loved her unconditionally, and life goes on.
I received an ARC through NetGalley and am giving my honest opinion

Sigh. Love this YA from m Rebecca Sneed. When You Reach Me was magical and her latest doesn’t disappoint. NYC is a full character in her books in all its glory.

I loved the idea and the premise of the book, but I thought it was boring and never hit an interesting peak.

We all need to start a list of things that will not change. In an uncertain time or age, we need the security of constants. That said, an adult could enjoy this book as much as a child. However, this is a book that would present problems for a traditional conservative family. as it involves the union of two of the same gender. Through the perspective of the first-person narrator, a young girl, the author explores the subjects of revenge and guilt, forgiveness, celebration, and adapting to change.

The young protagonist has a mother and father who love her. With thier separation and divorce come many changes. A therapist helps her cope which gives rise to her understanding and accepting new situations, past misdeeds. She gains much as she sees true friends helping her and the difference a supportive family makes.
It is well-written, and the reader will enter into difficulties with the protagonist. The author has great insight shared through the character arc. Plus,, she keeps a tone of acceptance while showing that sometimes adults are judgmental of others'choices.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wendy Lamb Books for my electronic ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is my first book by the author and I loved the title, but that’s about all.

When Bea’s parents announce they are getting a divorce they provide her with an actual list of things that will not change. But other than that cool concept the book fell flat for me. Best for middle-schoolers who are experiencing divorce.

Review posted on GoodReads.