Once for Yes

(Hardback)

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Description

But when the Odenburgh is sold and slated for demolition, Prue cant bear the idea of losing the place where her sister remains such a presence. Prue launches a campaign to save the building, throwing herself into drawing up a petition and gathering signatures from the other tenants. In the process, she meets Lewis, an eccentric boy who lives directly across the street - and the only person who can help Prue discover the missing elements of her sisters story. The building itself, as well as Lewis and the other tenants, help Prue to accept that she can move on without leaving her sister behind. Heartfelt and bursting with the healing power that community can offer, Once for Yes is a testament to the importance of memory and the endurance of love.

Reviews

"Prue Laroe's older sister Lina passed away at just twelve-years old, and a year later, Prue still mourns, holding fast to all the memories they made in their home in the Odenburgh, an old, four-story red brick apartment building with a memorial bench out front. Unfortunately, it has just been sold to a big city property developer, and eleven-year-old Prue seems to be the only one who cares about saving the building and the precious past it holds. Luckily, the Odenburgh itself does in fact care, and, with brick-and-mortar gusto, the omnipresent building co-narrates along with Prue and an assorted inhabitants of the other apartments on each floor, including Lewis, a boy with binoculars from across the street. ... Lewis is also harboring a secret that ties him to Lena, and untangling it will answer some of Prue's questions about the night of her sister's death. ... Gentle plotting and careful reveals of Lina's last moments to make a refreshingly clever, emotionally rich exploration of loss in its varied forms. Offering no easy solutions, this is a well-crafted read with a tragedy at its heartbreaking center and a constellation of moving parts that draw readers into its uniquely human anti-gentrification story. "--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

"This contemplative story explores themes of community, resilience, and healing through poetic prose that's infused with heartache and wonder. A heartfelt story about loss and connection." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Chapters swiftly alternate between the perspectives of the Odenburgh, Prue, Lewis, and other apartment dwellers, imparting a bustling tone. A gentle novel about grief by Millington (Olivetti)."--Publishers Weekly

"Millington's wholesome sophomore tearjerker (following Olivetti) has readers again rooting for a lovingly dysfunctional family as an inanimate narrator intervenes to help a struggling tween set them straight. Gentrification has come for the Odenburgh, a hardened red-brick building with as many rats as quirky residents. As demolition nears, Prue, from 4C, crosses paths with Lewis, who lives across the street. Both Prue and Lewis cling to place-anchored memories of Prue's late sister, Lina, and decide to partner to disrupt the Odenburgh's demise.... While every character carries some sadness, 11-year-old Prue's private continuation of a pretend late-night show she and her sisters used to put on strikes a particularly melancholic chord. Prue and Lewis' efforts to save the Odenburgh spur an artful act of tenant resistance that builds community. A poignant pick with a delightfully old-fashioned sensibility." -- Booklist

Author Bio

Allie Millington's debut middle-grade novel, Olivetti, was an Indies Introduce selection, and a USA Today and Indies besteller. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and their fluffy dog, Crumpet. You can frequently find her doodling in her writing shed, or foraging in the woods. You can find her on Instagram: @alliemillington or online at www.alliemillington.com