The Hard Kind of Promise

“A perceptive, poignant novel of middle-school identity and friendship” from the author of Prettiest Doll (The Horn Book). Sarah promised Marjorie when they were five years old that they would be best friends forever. But that was before seventh grade, when everything changed—everything except Marjorie. While Sarah wants to meet new people and try new things, Marjorie still likes doing the same things they always did. It seems the more time the two girls spend together, the more time Sarah wants to spend apart. How did a promise that was so easy to make become so hard to keep? With beautifully drawn characters and vivid details, this incisive novel portrays middle school in all its complexity—both the promise of what is to come and the pain of what must be left behind. This ebook includes a sample chapter of Prettiest Doll. “In this quiet, strongly realistic novel, Willner-Pardo explores the intricacies of preadolescent social life, where the worst possible thing is to be ‘weird.’” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “The sensitively drawn and satisfying conclusion will have girls nodding their heads with understanding as Sarah struggles with the promise she made years ago. A heartwarming story about life’s unexpected lessons, through the eyes of a girl experiencing them for the first time.” —School Library Journal “The dialogue is right-on, and readers will recognize the vicious social warfare from the lunchroom to the school bus.” —Booklist