Meant to Be

by Jo Knowles

In a companion to Where the Heart Is, the lens turns to younger sister Ivy as she fields the joys and pitfalls of new friendship, hones her passion for baking, and resists the idea of change.

Ivy loves living in Applewood Heights. The family's apartment is tiny, and her older sister, Rachel, won't stop grumbling about sharing a room after their old house was lost to foreclosure. But for the first time, Ivy has friends. Lucas and Alice live close by, and every week all three watch their favorite cooking show and practice baking together (even if Ivy has to find creative substitutes for the pricey ingredients). But Ivy is a worrier, and this summer there's plenty to be anxious about. Her parents can't wait to move to a bigger, nicer place, which is the last thing Ivy wants. Then Alice receives devastating news, and Ivy somehow manages to say just the wrong thing. Will Alice ever stop being mad at her?

Ivy finds much-needed reassurance, and a boost of confidence, when she starts working with the building superintendent, who teaches her how to fix things. Ivy has a natural talent, but she comes to realize that some things--like hurt feelings--are harder to fix than others. Luckily, Ivy is pretty good at making up her own recipes as she goes along. In an honest, hopeful companion to Where the Heart Is, Jo Knowles puts quirky, tenacious Ivy in the spotlight--as she tries to figure out exactly where she's meant to be.

Genres: Middle Grade, Family, Contemporary, Childrens, Young Adult, Friendship, Realistic Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2022

About the author

Hi! I'm the author of several books for kids and teens. including Ear Worm!,Meant To Be, and See You at Harry's. I'm available for school, library and book club visits either in person or via Zoom. For more info, please visit www.joknowles.com Thanks! :-)

Reviews

[La La · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars on the blog. RTC

[Carol Royce Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having snow days the last two days and Jo Knowles newest book, Meant To Be, a companion to Where the Heart Is, due out in March, arrive on my doorstep as part of a DIY ARC Tour ended up being the perfect storm of reading delight. Although Where the Heart Is was told from the perspective of the older sister, Rachel, as her family is put under severe financial difficulties and eventually lose their house to foreclosure, Meant To Be is told by the nine year old sister, Ivy, a bit after they have been living in a cramped place in Applewood Heights, a run down apartment building.

While Rachel hates their apartment, mostly because she has to share a room with Ivy, Ivy absolutely loves it. She has made two BFFs, Lucas and Alice, who enjoy watching the Bake It To Make It cooking show on Saturdays and then cook together to create their own version of the winning recipe. The three have become so close that they dream of opening a restaurant together, but Ivy has a lot to learn about friendships, and it quickly becomes evident that there is stress in their friendship.

Ivy also enjoys spending time with Donnalynn, the building superintendent, who encourages Ivy’s love of fixing things. She takes her around to apartments to help with odd jobs, but also lets her tinker in her workroom fixing things. This includes broken bikes which are then given to children who have requested one. Lastly, Ivy enjoys the other tenants, mostly all nice, who encourage Ivy and her friends interest in cooking, sharing needed ingredients and acting as taste-testers.

What Ivy doesn’t understand about apartment living is that people come and go and that no one (including her friends) wants to live in an apartment building all of their lives. This is most evident with her friend Alice, who was left with her grandmother but hopes daily that her mother will return and take her with her. Ivy also has to learn about friendships, and that they can go through some rough patches, and when a friend is having problems, you have to be sensitive to their needs and sometimes give them space to work things out. When Alice is dealt some devastating news, Ivy’s desire to fix it causes her to say all the wrong things, and she has no idea how to get Alice to forgive her. She then later says something to Lucas’ father that again, is all wrong, and in one day, Ivy is afraid she has offended both of her friends and is left worrying she will lose them both as friends.

Jo Knowles is a master at developing characters, and she beautifully conveys the heart and soul of these friends as they work through their troubles, showing the turmoil in each as Alice’s news is revealed, and showing how the difficulties affect their relationship. I also enjoy that this is a companion novel, not a sequel, to Where the Heart Is, so it can stand alone. Being that this is told by a nine year old, I was thinking of a younger audience than I recommended for Where the Heart Is, wanting to encourage my third and fourth grade colleagues to consider reading it and sharing it with their classes. I also feel there are many stopping points where it could be used by those working in social emotional settings, as they could use it for counseling students about building friendships, dealing with the loss of friends, the emotions of moving, and even sibling relationships.
So everyone, watch for this in March. But, in the meantime, if you haven’t read any of Jo Knowles other books check out my reviews of them here. There is not one I would not recommend, but my forever favorite is See You At Harrys.
Congratulations Jo Knowles on another wonderful YA novel!

[Beth Rodgers · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Meant To Be’ by Jo Knowles captures the insecurities of being a kid who just wants to do the right thing, but somehow keeps messing up and feeling guilty that things aren’t turning out quite right. While it’s never easy to be a pre-teen, teenager, or even an adult, Ivy can’t seem to make anyone understand why she’s so content living in Applewood Heights with her family. After all, they had to leave their house and move into a small apartment where nothing is the same as it once was. Her sister and parents are dealing with the move, but they want to get back to something more normal. The problem is that Ivy has made friends in the building, and she has no desire to go back to the life she once led where friends weren’t quite so easy to come by.

Ivy has found ways to adapt to her new life, including helping out by fixing things around the apartment building with the building’s maintenance person, Donnalyn, and watching baking shows with her new friends, Alice and Lucas. They love plotting out how they will bake their own fantastic creations, and their family members often enjoy helping out.

The trouble starts when Alice is upset about her mother, Stevie, not coming home. Even though she lives with her grandmother and enjoys spending time with her friends, Alice is not happy that her mother doesn’t seem to want to come and be with her. Ivy tries to cheer her up, but in so doing, she makes things worse. Alice doesn’t want to hear about how great it is that they can still be together. She only wants to know that others care about her distress over her mother. Despite Ivy’s desperate attempts to help, she finds that sometimes saying the right thing is a harder task than it might seem. While she upsets the apple cart little by little, it helps her find her own way of helping that is conducive to everyone else’s desires as well. She learns that just because something seems right doesn’t mean it is the right course of action for the person she is trying to help, and that is the biggest lesson of all—knowing how to meet someone where they are, with what they need in a given moment.

A sweet and inspiring story about learning about boundaries, truth, and unconditional love, ‘Meant To Be’ captures the essence of what it means to be someone who works to do what is right even when everything seems to be going wrong.

Beth Rodgers, Author of ‘Welcome to Chanu-Con!,’ a Children's Picture Book, and ‘Freshman Fourteen’ and ‘Sweet Fifteen,’ Young Adult Novels

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this companion to Where the Heart Is, we pick up with Rachel and Ivy's new life in the Applewood Heights apartment building, focusing on Ivy's experience. While she loved the family's farmhouse as much as Rachel, Ivy is finding more things about living in an apartment that she likes. She has friends in the building, and it's easy to visit them. She loves to watch Bake It to Make It! with Alice and Lucas, and the trio then collects ingredients from other residents to make the week's challenge, and then shares the product with their contributors. Ivy also works with the building superintendent, Donnalyn, fixing things in residents' apartments, and also refurbishing bikes. Ivy has her own family tensions, since her parents' finances aren't good, and they feel that living in Applewood Heights is something people only do when they are down on their luck, but her friends have bigger problems. Ivy wants to help, but Alice is upset about something with her mother, and doesn't even want to see Ivy. Alice's grandmother, with whom she lives, won't tell Ivy exactly what is going on. Lucas' father has a disability and uses a walker, but isn't interested in a wheelchair that Ivy wants to make. When her parents start to look for houses, Ivy is upset at the idea that she will have to move away from her friends. Can she mend her fences with Alice and Lucas after feelings are hurt?
Strengths: I liked that Ivy lived in an apartment building that was NOT in a big city, and that she rather enjoyed some of the features of living in one. Being able to visit Alice and Lucas whenever she wanted seemed like a lot of fun, and I loved how they included their neighbors in their baking exercises. There was just enough parental involvement to be realistic, and we did get glimpses of Rachel. The problems with Alice's mother having a drug problem and losing custody of Alice, as well as Alice's reactions to this, are realistic. With as many children in the US being raised by grandparents, you would think that more middle grade characters would be in this situation. The sense of community was really wonderful. The message about being considerate of friends' needs and asking before helping them was a really good one, and while Ivy's learning curve was a little steep, she does start to understand how to be more considerate.
Weaknesses: I'm still a little conflicted about the treatment of the family's financial reversals; the discussion about families only living in Applewood Heights until they could afford to move out seemed odd, especially since many of the older residents clearly where there for the long term. Perhaps this is just a function of Ivy's family having a change of circumstances? Not anything that young readers will question.
What I really think: I was hoping to get more information about Rachel, and will probably not buy this because Ivy seems so young. This would be a good stand alone for an elementary school library, and it wouldn't be necessary for readers to pick up Where the Heart Is first.

[Rosi Hollinbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ivy and her family have recently moved to Applewood Heights, an apartment building that is a little worse for wear. The linoleum is peeling and paint is chipping and floors creak. But Ivy loves it there. At their old house, a farmhouse the family lost to foreclosure, they had more room, but Ivy had no friends nearby. At Applewood Heights, Ivy has to share a room with her older sister Rachel, who is NOT happy about it, but Ivy has two best friends, Lucas and Alice, only an elevator ride away. Every Saturday morning, the three get together to watch Bake it to Make it, a great cooking show that inspires them to bake new recipes they share with their neighbors and families. But while Ivy loves living at Applewood Heights, she doesn’t understand that not everyone thinks it is a place they’d like to stay forever. And she doesn’t always think before she speaks nor does she have much empathy for others. This really gets her and her friendships into trouble. Since she means well, she just can’t seem to understand why others don’t feel the same way. The question is can she mend the friendships and mend her ways.
Jo Knowles

Jo Knowles has written a novel with a lot of heart and an engaging story. The characters are all well-drawn and very credible. Each has his or her own backstory that enriches this complex novel. There are times the three major characters in the story seem older than nine, but it doesn’t interrupt the narrative since it is an age very underrepresented in middle-grade literature. Knowles’s writing is lovely, the dialogue is true to the characters, and the adults play important roles without overtaking the young characters. The problems the kids face are very real and relatable. This is a terrific book that deserves a wide readership. Don’t miss this one.

I received a review copy of this book from Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review. I wrote this review for my blog at https://rosihollinbeck.com/blog/.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Possibly Jo Knowles' best book to date (the bar is not high, but still). The highs aren't as good as the good parts of Where the Heart Is, but the annoyances aren't as annoying as that book's, either. For example, this one tries its hardest to repel you on page 1 by resorting to literal bathroom humor, but thereafter it reins itself in much better on that front. And regardless, I'm so glad this companion book exists to make the family's story feel more complete, or at least more balanced, to see perspective from both sisters.

More to the point, as someone who definitely relates the most to the mother in these books and then to older sister Rachel, I found it really interesting to see apartment life -- even in a run-down building! -- from the eyes of a kid who not only likes it, but likes it BETTER than the farmhouse with acres of land where she was born, for a myriad of reasons I would never have considered until I read them.

(She likes sharing a room with her older sister, it's always warm, her friends are just an elevator ride away instead of a difficult-to-schedule playdate dependent on chauffeuring capabilities, etc. The general pleasure of having stores and activities within walking or biking distance is, I suppose, pretty huge when you're a kid who doesn't necessarily want to spend all their time roaming around outdoors.)

I was pretty meh on her friends, but I loved every scene of her tagging along after the apartment manager and learning how to be a handywoman. I love how much enthusiasm Ivy has for everything she tries, from building a bicycle with spare parts to getting creative in the kitchen. I don't know what she's going to end up doing with her life when she grows up, but I think she'll be a smashing success.

P.S. So thrilled to learn that Rachel is still taking care of the Townsends' animals, and that we get a chapter where Ivy tags along with her for a visit!

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ivy loves living in her apartment building because her best friends are right down the hall, but the rest of her family is hoping to move away to a nicer house. Her best friend, Alice, gets some bad news and Ivy tries to cheer her up but ends up always saying the wrong thing and hurting Alice's feelings. Ivy feels terrible, but doesn't know how to make things right again. Ivy hopes that they can bond again through their favorite cooking show.

This was such a cute little book! Ivy's narrative voice was a little more juvenile than I was expecting, but I found her very relatable and sweet. I remember always feeling like I said the wrong thing when I was a kid, and not knowing how to fix it. I love the excellent writing style! Ivy's voice is very distinct and memorable.

However, I felt like the plot moved way too slow. This book could have been condensed, and I think that would have fit the narrative style to appeal to younger readers. Especially since Ivy is nine years old, a shorter book would have been more in keeping with the age range for the target audience. Plus it just seemed like several plot points and similar scenes were repeated over and over. The emotional arc just took too long to get to the point.

I loved all the little details of Ivy's family and her friendships and all her hobbies. But I didn't need all the superfluous details about every single neighbor in the apartment building. It is very well-written, but a little too much for this type of book.

Overall, this is a sweet book that I enjoyed very much!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Jo Knowles' earlier "Where The Heart Is", we readers get to know Rachel's nine-year-old little sister, Ivy. The family has lost their farm and moved into a small apartment where Rachel and Ivy have to share a room. Ivy's parents and sister have sad feelings about the move but Ivy does not. For the first time, she has close friends, in the building! Ivy, with Alice and Lucas, become friends and have the most fun watching a weekly baking show. They take notes and try hard to create something yummy with the list of ingredients given. It's fun and Ivy loves it all, continues to say, and think, how she never wants to move, and feels determined to make the rest of her family think the new home is terrific. Knowles keeps things on a young level, showing so well Ivy's worries, and her sincere attempts to be a good friend. When Alice has some problems with her mom not returning (she lives with her grandmother) and does not want to talk about it, then Lucas's father has a struggle walking, Ivy wants to help, but struggles to understand why her words and intentions don't make things better. She gets a boost when she starts helping the building superintendent fix things. She's good at it! And that super helps Ivy figure a few things out about what can be fixed and what needs time before it can be fixed.
Growing up is hard as Knowles shows so well. With a thread of different proverbs for life bugging Ivy, it seems that nothing she does helps. She is learning, however, as all of us must, even if we're already grown! This would make a great read-aloud for a class.
Thanks to Candlewick Press for this copy.

[Sally Kruger]

In MEANT TO BE readers are given a chance to learn more about Ivy, a quirky character from WHERE THE HEART IS. Ivy takes on the role of main character in this latest novel by Jo Knowles.

After finances force Ivy's family to leave their farm and move into an apartment complex, Ivy decides it might not be too bad. Sharing a room with her sister isn't exactly the greatest, but at least two new friends live right in the same building. Alice and Lucas make Ivy feel more at home than she did on the farm where she felt lonely most of the time.

Watching a cooking contest called Bake It to Make It! is a weekly event for the three new friends. After they watch the show, they try to replicate the dish and then share it with family and friends. Ivy's family enjoys the tasty pancakes she has been inspired to make while watching the show.

Ivy also feels comfortable when she is pitching in to help the building caretaker. She changes lightbulbs, tightens nuts and bolts, and even refurbishes bicycles for the children of some of the tenants.

Just like all friendships and families, there are moments of tension that are sometimes difficult for Ivy to understand. She usually wants to talk about the conflicts, but she soon learns that sometimes staying quiet and patient is the best course.

MEANT TO BE is perfect for middle grade readers who are already Jo Knowles fans and even more perfect to create more loyal readers.

[Lorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this companion novel to Where the Heart is, the Gartner family story continues through the eyes of younger sister Ivy this time. The family has firmly moved into their downsized apartment in town and Ivy is thrilled with the change, Rachel still not so much. Ivy has found friends her own age and purpose in both the baking challenges that they emulate from their favorite TV show and being able to apprentice with the building super as she does her work. Ivy's biggest worry is that as the family's finances improve, they will move away from everything great about her life.

Middle grade readers will empathize with the younger Ivy as she navigates friendships and the world as she continues to grow up. She often gets in trouble for not saying the right thing at the right time but learns how to deal proactively with the consequences. Overall, a wonderful slice of real-life learning lessons with a character that is relatable for most readers. I think picking up Rachel's story would be great even after reading this book first would be a great idea and I even hope we get to hear more about Ivy's friends Alice and Lucas!

I would recommend this book for purchase by any school or public library for their middle grade fiction collection.

This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries.

[Jill Dater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ivy has moved to Applewood Heights and she loves it there. She has two best friends, Lucas and Alice, who share her love of baking. But Ivy hasn’t exactly figured out how to be a good friend. She wants to fix everything, both literally and metaphorically, but sometimes you can’t fix people.

Although I don’t often read middle grade novels, this book was an excellent read. Ivy reminds me of Rimona Quincy who always gets in trouble but in this novel, it’s because Ivy always says the wrong thing. Ivy had to learn that sometimes waiting for person to be ready to talk is the best way to be a good friend.

My favorite part of this book was that the kids are learning to bake. I love their enthusiasm for creating food that they hear about on their favorite cooking show.

Overall, this is a wonderful novel for a middle grade reader!

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This middle-grade novel was a cute story about the importance of friendship and knowing when to help. Ivy, who is new to Applewood Heights, loves her quaint and cozy living situation, even though the sentiment is not shared by everyone. She has a heart of gold and wants to help "fix" everyone's problems in order to give them the same happiness she feels. The only problem is that everyone doesn't want her help. Or positivity. She learns the hard way that sometimes people just need to go through the process of grief without finding a bright side or experience hardship without looking for a savior. Sometimes it is just okay to be as you are.

Even though this book is a follow-up to "Where the Heart Is," it is also a great stand-alone, too. I would definitely recommend this to young readers who enjoy more realistic stories about people their own age.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a sequel to Where the Heart Is but with an interesting twist. In this book, we hear from Rachel's younger sister Ivy about their current situation. While the rest of the family has discovered disadvantages living in the apartment building after losing their home, Ivy has only found advantages because she has found friends. It's really interesting how having some friends close by makes Ivy's outlook so different than everyone else's, even her friends. I like the things that Ivy learns in this story about others but mostly about herself without realizing it at first. It also does a great job of showing how that learning can be painful because self-doubt is a feeling no one evades. I think whatever happens next in Ivy's life (and I really appreciate that the book didn't state what that will be) she will be a little stronger and a little more capable of dealing with it.

[Siarra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knowles' story encompasses many areas of life that are very relevant in modern day, such as friendship, family, loved ones with a drug addiction, and changes in life. The story was very heartwarming and a good read. Ivy, Alice, and Lucas navigate living in the same apartment building creating a friendship that Ivy never wants to lose. They face some hardship as a friend group and within their families, but they overcome those together. I thought this story was very good, an easy ready, and easy to follow. I think the story contains many important lessons and topics that students can be introduced to. I would definitely put this in my classroom library for students to have the option to read it on their free time for their independent reading.

[Lisa Cobb Sabatini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won an Advance Reading Copy of Meant To Be by Jo Knowles from Goodreads.

Meant To Be by Jo Knowles is a heartwarming Middle Grade book about friendship and growing up under difficult circumstances. Young readers easily identify with the protagonist, Ivy, and learn from her mistakes, as well as learn from Ivy's growing insights about other people and herself. Readers laugh, cheer, and even shed a few tears all while exploring how to be a good friend while keeping true to yourself during the uncertainties of life.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been hearing so much and am so happy that Meant to Be finally came in at the library! It was worth the wait!

Oh, Ivy! She's so easy to love - even though she sometimes can't keep her thoughts to herself and maybe does a few things without asking first. She means well, but will others forgive her?

If you like realistic fiction stories about upper elementary-aged characters with all the challenges of being a kid - like I do, this one is for you!

[Patti Sabik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved “Where the Heart Is” and was excited to see a sequel and find out how the family is doing in their new apartment from little sister Ivy’s perspective. At first I was a bit concerned because Ivy is nine and that age won’t fly with my middle school audience, but for those who have read book one it isn’t an issue and the character does read older. Lots of cooking and friend drama.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

EARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Ivy’s family has “downsized” and moved to an apartment building, which brought many changes to her family. She has made new friends, and like many nine year olds, she says things without thinking that can cause problems. Her supportive family and neighbors offer good advice and readers can learn a lot from Ivy’s experiences.

[Glynnis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how Ivy and her friends in their apartment building all have uncertainty and fear in their lives but come together over their love of a cooking show and making food. They cleverly improvise ingredients as they learn to care for each other through difficult times and shifting relationships. A wonderful and heartfelt book!

[Brenda Kahn]

This companion novel to Where the Heart Is is quite lovely. Ivy is happy at Applewood Gardens, where she and her family landed after they lose their farm. She finally has friends she can see regularly and they both love her favorite cooking show as much as she! All is not smooth, however as Ivy tends to get a bit headstrong and fails to take others' feelings into consideration.

[LS Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice chapter book readers moving into harder books. Still lots of white space on the page. This is a companion book to Where the Heart Is, but not necessary to read first. I enjoyed the cooking aspect.

[Brittany Ribeiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read . This book is a heart warming story . I loved the characters and the plot of the story . A wonderful book that teaches about friendship and life lessons . I really enjoyed this book . I highly recommend it .

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

warm and sweet.

[LeeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet read!!

[Jill Gerber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sure to be a hit in my classroom. Cannot wait to book talk this book tomorrow.