Another fantastic novel by Stead. Readers will absolutely fall in love with Bea and her list of things that will not change once her parents get a divorce. Readers will enjoy getting to know Bea as Stead does a masterful job developing her character throughout the book. There is also a fantastic supporting character crew that we get to know just as well. Furthermore, readers will explore topics such as anxiety, therapy, same-sex marriages, and blended families. All of these topics are important and presented in a way that readers will understand and relate to.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me this book to review.

This book followed Bea’s life transitions through a parents divorce, new marriage, and all that comes with it. Stead does a good job of capture the raw emotions of Bea and creates strong characters. However, something about this book felt flat to me. It didn’t grab my attention and I struggled to get through it. So many had recommended this author and it’s the first book I’ve read by her, but it didn’t do much for me. I normally love middle grade fiction and this one didn’t connect with me.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

This is one of my favorite books that I’ve read lately. I’m a long time fan of Ms. Stead, and this book did not disappoint. Such an amazing job of exploring the complex emotional reality of tweens, and the topic of self forgiveness. Thank you for publishing this wonderful book.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus



Bea's parents are divorced, but she keeps a list that reassures her that her life is still okay. They have shared custody, and live close to each other, so she is able to keep herself fairly organized, although having two reminders about school projects would help. Her father has a posh restaurant, Beatrice, and his partner, Jesse works there. Jesse's sister Sheila frequently babysits her. She has good friends in Lizette and Angus, and sees a therapist, Miriam, to help her deal with the divorce and some anger management issues. Bea also suffers from fairly significant eczema. As her father and Jesse prepare to get married, we see Bea's every day life, but also flashbacks to other periods in time. One of these that recurs is the previous summer, when the family got together and her cousins gave her a hard time. One of those cousins, Angelica, fell out of a top bunk and wasn't hurt, but has recently been experiencing difficulties. Bea mentions that she is not a good person and did something bad over the summer, and eventually tells Miriam what this is and is able to deal with her guilt.

Strengths: This had a lot of good elements: Bea's dealing with divorce and going between homes, her extended family's acceptance (or rejection) of her father's sexual orientation, her relationship with Jesse's daughter, her school projects (making butter in a jar!), and her appointments with her therapist. I especially was glad to see a portrayal of a young person with eczema, as I have had several students struggle with that condition. Stead's When You Reach Me won the Newbery ten years ago, and many teachers and librarians are huge fans of her probing, lyrical writing.
Weaknesses: While Bea is in about fifth grade, she seems very young, and many of the anecdotes involve her life when she is even younger. This is a more character driven story, so there is not a lot that happens. The source of Bea's guilt was pretty obvious and not that compelling.
What I really think: I will pass on purchase because of the young feel and the NYC setting, which does not do well with my students. The exception to this is Mackler's Not If I Can Help It, but that circulates mainly due to the giant gummy bear on the cover!

Love this story about love and family. Ups, downs and how to forgive yourself and move on. Best and her family and friends flow together easily, after awhile you feel like a part of their world.

This was a book that allowed the reader to experience various points of views in a gentle manner. Just a quiet read about love and the blending of families. I know a lot of children in today’s society have anxiety. I like that this book gave therapy, without being pushy. I liked how the families behaved as a real family does.

An utter delight from start to finish. A fairly simple premise - a girl's father is remarrying and she tries to connect with a new sister - is elevated by fantastic writing. Stead has an amazing talent for bringing characters to life, every member of this lovely family felt 100% real to me. I loved seeing a young character in therapy in a positive, matter-of-fact way, and I really loved the acknowledgement of how complicated families can be underneath the surface.

Bea has a guilty conscience. Because of her parents divorce a few years ago, she sees a therapist who helps her work through her worries. Through the book, she works out the pressing worries.
The ending of the book brings you back to the beginning where Bea told a short story. The whole book is told through her viewpoint. She talks about troubling things with friends at school, getting a new sister when her dad remarries and problems with her cousins. The book is an easy read and can easily be done in one day. The situations in the book are relatable to kids.
The book was ok. I can easily see a child standing in front of me telling me this story the way it was written. The whole book seems like a run on story but it works because it’s seen through a child’s eyes.

Look for this book in April. Bea is a wonderful character surrounded by a great circle of family and friends, and she FEELS! She made me laugh and cry through all her ups and downs and trying to process what she experiences. A very satisfying story from the gifted Rebecca Stead. Copy courtesy of Netgalley.

When Bea's parents get divorced, her dad helps her focus on the things that won't change -- like her parents love for her -- even though many other things will and do change. Bea keeps a list of what won't change in a journal, a touchstone, to help her cope. Now she is excited that her dad and his boyfriend are getting married and that she'll get a new sister...she's always wanted a sister. But her new stepsister isn't as excited to be joining her family as Bea had hoped. This story is a wonderfully rich slice-of-life, growing-up story that readers will gravitate to for its authentic characters and relatable plot.

While the premise of the book is interesting (although there are three other books out there with the same idea), I felt that the main problem I had with the book was that the character felt too young for her age. However, I did truly appreciate the breaking point she had with her therapist at the end. That felt very real and cathartic, especially when she encounters her cousin at the wedding. For the most part, there are amazing, poignant insights for middle grade such as learning to forgive and also how to let things go, but I just couldn't get over the voice which seemed to be more at a level of an 8 year old.

Not a surprise that Rebecca Stead's new book is fantastic! I love Bea. She is so herself and just a normal kid. Bea's parents are divorced but even the turmoil that that brings is under control because Bea has a list of "things that will not change".

Summary: Despite her parents' divorce, her father's coming out as gay, and his plans to marry his boyfriend, ten-year-old Bea is reassured by her parents' unconditional love, excited about getting a stepsister, and haunted by something she did last summer at her father's lake house.

Bea gets anxious about a lot of things (spelling tests, musical chairs, her eczema), but she is 1000% excited about her father's upcoming wedding. She loves his fiance Jesse, the promise of cake, and the fact that she's about to get the sister she always wanted: Sonia. With the unwavering love of her expanding family, the support of her friends, and the help of her therapist Miriam, Bea works through the ordinary, monumental challenges of her tenth year. A sweet, positive story that effortlessly captures the voice of a perfectly imperfect girl.

I loved this book! It was a quick but meaningful read. It explored family dynamics and friendships. It was also interesting to see a main character in a middle grade novel suffer from eczema. It added a realistic tone to the story, and I think it will help kids learn and relate. This book was funny, heart-felt, and sad. It was also nice to see a kid going to therapy and gaining something from it. A well-balanced, fun read!

Rebecca Stead has done it again. The List of Things That Will Not Change is a tender story about a young girl, Bea, facing a changing family in a world riddled with worries and anxieties and dreams. It is heart warming. I didn’t want it to end.

So glad to have had a chance to read this book in advance of publication - I know many kids who will want to read this title. Rebecca Stead has done it again!

I'm so glad I reviewed this book via an ARC provided by NetGalley. If I had only read the description, I may have passed over this gem by Stead because it mentions the protagonist as a 10-year-old and my 6th through 8th graders usually are not interested in reading about kids below their age. However, it is narrated when she is 12 (nearly 13) and is reflecting back on her 10-year-old self. The voice and content is definitely appropriate for 4th through 8th grade readers making this a brilliantly written work. There were so many issues being dealt with throughout the story, it was not a one dimensional read. The characters were well-developed and three dimensional; all with wonderful flaws, fears, and heroism. Amazingly real story with a touching surprise, yet real, ending. What an amazing read!

"The List of Things That Will Not Change" by Rebecca Stead is a middle-grade novel about a girl whose dad is getting married -- to another man. While the depiction of Beatrice's new stepfather is overwhelmingly positive, the difficult transition "Bea" experiences splitting her time between two households (her mother's and her father's) is relatable and well done.

While the subject matter (same-sex marriage) is a relatively new theme addressed in middle-grade fiction, the pacing and tone of the story is gentle and pleasant, without too much drama or narrative twists. I thought the stepsister relationship might be more fraught with some secret character defect being revealed -- that her stepsister might be more troubled or rebellious-- but (spoiler alert), the stepsister just has a different way of handling this big family transition than Bea does.

The scenes with Bea and her therapist, Miriam, are well done. Miriam is a likable, clever, and competent guide. As other reviewers have mentioned, this story might help normalize and destigmatize the idea of therapy for school-aged kids. Bea's acknowledgement of her problems with impulse control and how she manages it, while still remaining a likable narrator, is one of the story's special charms. Recommend.

Rebecca Stead has done it again! An accessible text on a not-so accessible subject. Can’t wait to hand this to kids.

I loved everything about this book. The quiet voice, Beatrice’s perfectly human emotions that can be both beautiful and ugly and letting her have those ugly feelings., the sensitivity with which a gay parent relationship was portrayed- both for and against. I am very eager to share this with my students when it is published.