Holly Mueller's Reviews > Every Day After

Well, I think I just read my favorite contender for the 2014 Newbery so far! Lizzie is a girl who has been fighting all her life to be a winner. Her father has pushed her in school because she has brains, and she has been used to beating everyone. Ben, her best friend, has been by her side for as long as she remembers, but lately, he seems to be pulling away. Recently, her father has disappeared - it's the Depression, and he has set off to find work. When will he come back? Lizzie believes with all her heart that he will be back. Her mother is falling apart, but Lizzie takes care of her. Erin is making her life miserable at school, determined to take her place as the top student. Lizzie has a lot to learn about life and herself. She doesn't want to ask anyone for help - she's a fighter, and she thinks she can handle everything on her own. She reminds me of Katherine Hannigan's Ida B. You'll root for Lizzie throughout this book and cheer for her as she fights the world and learns what it is to be a real winner. The poem at the end made me cry. Laura Golden wrote a fabulous debut novel!