Love, Love
by Victoria Chang
Interest age: 9 to 12
Reading age: 9+
Published by Sterling Children's Books, 2020
About this book
Frances is struggling to fit in. Bullied by her classmates, scared of her teachers and under pressure from her parents to do well at school, she finds it difficult to speak up and finds escape by playing tennis.
But inspired by the Nancy Drew books she reads, Frances has a new mission: to figure out why her sister Clara's hair is falling out. With the help of her one friend Annie - a fellow Chinese-American student - she embarks on an investigation.
But will she get any answers, and will she find the confidence to finally follow her own path?
Written largely in verse, Love, Love is a beautiful story of compassion, overcoming bullies, and celebrating your strengths. The poems are often searing, poignant and touching, with every word having an impact and wonderfully considered imagery that welcomes re-reading.
Clara's hair-pulling - also known as trichotillomania - is sensitively handled, based on the experiences of author Victoria Chang's own sister. And as the relationship between Frances and Clara develops and deepens, Frances's own steps towards a stronger sense of self are truly heartening.
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