Between the Notes

May 25, 2015
When 16-year-old Ivy Emerson and her family are forced to move to the âpoorâ side of town after the bank forecloses on their home, Ivyâs charmed life is replaced by one in which her family is crammed into a shoebox-sized house, she has no money to go out with her friends, and her mother shops for groceries at a food bank. Debut author Roat uses the intensity of major life changes to force Ivy to reevaluate everything she believes about herself, her friends, and her family. Ivyâs understandable bitterness and shame eventually give way to discoveries about what isâand isnâtâimportant in life, especially in the case of her neighbor Lennie, who has a reputation as her schoolâs âmost notorious druggie,â but turns out to be kind and generous. As Ivy tries to choose between Lennie and a boy who represents a connection to her former life, the novelâs romantic and economic stakes feel too transparently tied to an overarching message about looking beyond appearances and material wealth. Ages 14âup. Agent: Steven Chudney, Chudney Agency.

April 1, 2015
Her family's move to the wrong side of the tracks feels like a devastating fall from grace for Ivy. Her parents hid their financial struggles until the announcement that they are selling everything, including Ivy's beloved piano, and moving to the poor side of town. Ivy goes to great lengths to hide this change from her rich friends. The strain is enormous, as Ivy, her parents, and her twin siblings are forced to rely on the charity of food banks. Additionally, she finds it loathsome that the guy next door, Lennie, with tattoos and a bad reputation, is making overtures of friendship. Enter the gorgeous new boy in high school, James. In a betrayal of Ivy's smitten best friend, they strike up a secret friendship, leaving special notes to each other contained within their favorite books. Of course, nothing is quite as it seems. Ivy must face her shallowness and apparent lack of ability to do simple deductive reasoning, as she continues to confuse which potential love interest is doing what. Were it not for Ivy's emotionally complex relationship with her little brother, who has a seizure disorder, this would languish as a nice but typical romance in which the girl must choose between two, very disparate knights in shining armor. This teen-love not-quite-trifle demonstrates that between the lines resides truth about perception, others, and most importantly oneself. (Romance. 14-17)

April 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-Ivy Emerson, 16, moves from affluent Westside to undesirable Lakeside after her parents declare bankruptcy after getting behind on her brother's medical bills. Leaving her baby grand piano, bedroom with a window seat, and cell phone behind, she fears she'll lose her friends if they ever find out. But keeping up appearances proves difficult when her best friend still lives in Westside, her bad-boy next-door neighbor isn't keen on keeping their interactions a secret, and the mysterious new boy at school seems far more Westside than Lakeside. To make matters worse, Ivy's best friend is crushing on the new guy who, in turn, is mutually crushing on Ivy. Worst of all, she can't even save face with a "respectable" job playing piano at the country club due to her stage fright and fear of being found out. Short on cash and without the perspective that money isn't everything, Ivy navigates the waters of learning what she's worth in a very material world. Although distastefully shallow at first, trying to save face at every turn, Ivy eventually learns that things aren't always what they seem, and that it is not what you have but who you are that matters. A constant barrage of "ums," ellipses, and disjointed plot devices tarnish the reading experience. VERDICT The lesson Ivy learns is important and oh-so-sweet; the journey there is cumbersome and slightly sour.-Brittany Staszak, St. Charles Public Library, IL

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2015
Grades 9-12 When Ivy's parents announce that they have lost their expensive digs and nearly everything they own, including Ivy's beloved baby grand, it's the end of her world. The piano and singing are Ivy's passions, and the move to Lakeside, a low-income town where the poor kids at school live, is too much for her upscale esteem to bear. She can't tell her friends for fear of ostracism. Enter suave and mysterious James Wickerton, whose attention is focused on Ivy. When rumored drug dealer Lennie Lazarski, Ivy's new next-door neighbor, also starts taking notice of her at home and (gasp!) at school, that's the limit. Meanwhile friends encourage Ivy, who needs a job, to put her talents to use. Overwhelmed by everything, Ivy falls deep into a romantic triangle she feels she can't escape. Overcoming prejudices and fears are the centerpieces of the book, and Ivy's feeling of unjust displacement evolves to an understanding of needful adaptability. When it comes to heart and finding home, this novel hits the right notes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015
Ivy's newly poor family has relocated to a "bad neighborhood" next door to a supposed drug dealer, a fact she hides from her crush and friends. But as Ivy slowly accepts her situation, she makes new friends, conquers her fear of playing music onstage, and finds unexpected romance. This sweet and satisfying debut features fully realized characters coping with realistically difficult circumstances.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)