Fighting words
(Book)

Includes author's note with discussion questions.

"Sometimes you've got a story you need to find the courage to tell." Ten-year-old Della has always had her older sister Suki: When their mom went to prison, Della had Suki. When their mom's boyfriend took them in, Della had Suki. When that same boyfriend did something so awful they had to run fast, Della had Suki. Loving, loyal, and fierce, Suki is Dell's own wolf--her protector. But who has been protecting Suki? Della might get told off for swearing at school, but she's always known how to keep quiet where it counts. Then Suki tries to kill herself, and Della's world turns so far upside down, it feels like it's shaking her by the ankles. Maybe it's time to speak up. maybe she's been quiet about the wrong things. Maybe it's time to be loud. This powerful, pitch-perfect novel explodes the stigma around child sexual abuse by balancing an intense tale with compassion, insight, and levity, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley tells a fierce and moving story about two sisters, linked by love and trauma, who must find their own voices before they can find their way back to each other. --,From dust jacket.

Accelerated Reader,MG+,3.6,7.0.

Accelerated Reader AR,MG+,3.6,7,509591.

Newbery Honor, 2021

School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 2021

Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of the Year, 2021

American Library Association Amelia Bloomer Project, 2021