From You to Me Lib/E

by K.A. Holt

Amelia Peabody lives in a small town where nothing changes. And that's just fine by her. After losing her big sister, Clara, a few years ago, Amelia can't handle any more change. But when she starts eighth grade, she accidentally receives a letter that Clara had written to herself. In it, there's a list of things she'd wanted to do before the end of middle school and never finished, like get on the softball team and throw an awesome birthday party on the lake.
Amelia wonders if it's a sign from Clara. Maybe if she completed the list, her heart would stop hurting so much, and she could go back to being her old self. But as she makes her way through, Amelia finds that there's no going back, only forward. And she realizes she'll have to put her own spin on Clara's list to grow and change in the ways she needs to.
K. A. Holt's beautiful new novel is about grieving and growing up, and the ripples loss creates for a girl, a family, and a community.

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

Audio CD

First published May 28, 2018

Reviews

[Katy O. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to @kidlitexchange for the review copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

Oh my goodness, what a poignant story! While this is a story of grief and attempting to move on from the death of a sibling (set 3 years after the death), it's also sweet and so, so REAL. I adore how Amelia gets straight up mad and crabby at times and shows her anger so clearly ~ we know she's angry because she's grieving, but it's just so nice to finally see a middle grade book that shows grief doesn't stop within a certain period of time after a death, and also that sometimes it just makes people mad......and that's okay. I also very much appreciate that Holt addresses how Amelia's parent DID fall apart after Clara died, and that they aren't 100% okay yet either. The friendships shown in the book are great and I love the science-loving side of Amelia.

BONUS: for teachers/parents looking for books that are about upper middle schoolers but AREN'T about crushes, sex, drugs and all things mature ~ this one is about as innocent as a book can get while still portraying an 8th grader in a realistic fashion. Also, the brevity of the novel is appreciated and will appeal to many, many tween and early teen readers.

Highly recommended for all libraries serving students grades 6-8!

[Clare Lund · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Amelia starts 8th grade, her teacher gives back the time capsule letters students wrote to themselves at the beginning of middle school. But in a heart-wrenching mixup, Amelia accidentally receives her sister Clara’s letter instead of her own — her sister Clara who drowned in the lake three years ago when she was an 8th grader herself. In the letter, Clara lists things she wants to accomplish before heading to high school, and Amelia adopts this list as her own in an effort to both reinvent herself and honor her sister’s memory. Beautiful story of life after loss, friendship, and being true to yourself. Ages 10 and up.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I hate you! I never want to see your face again!"

Those were the last words Amelia ever got to say to sister Clara. Not knowing five minutes later she'd fall off a boat and drown, Amelia has a hard time taking in the loss. Tomorrow, she's starting eight grade, the year her sister never got to. And, she's not sure she'll make it herself.

I absolutely LOVED this book! While at times it became a bit dry and boring, K.A. Holt has an excellent way of conveying the action throughout the story. She describes the 8th grade scenery well, and does a good job being realistic about Amelia'a character. This 4 star book on goodreads, with almost 481 reviews will blow your mind.

[Shari · Rating 1 out of 5]

Olivia read on her own and she did not like this one. She stopped reading when she got to the part where the character plays the Ouija board trying to summon her dead sisters spirit.
I'm thankful I have had conversations with my children about the dangers in these occult "games" and they stay far away from them. It's a shame authors feel a need to write about these things in a middle grade novel.

[Leigh Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great middle school read! A story of grief wrapped up in friendship, love, and family. I read this on the one year anniversary of a similar death in my hometown. A great young man who I am sure is sprinkling a little stardust with Clara.

[Kathy Mathey · Rating 4 out of 5]

My students and I like this author (Rhyme Schemer, House Arrest) ~ a lot. From You to Me is another good one. The portrayal of grief in this story will resonate with readers especially those experiencing loss; the portrayal of friendship and kindness is powerful.

[Florence Migga · Rating 2 out of 5]

From You to Me was a touching story about a girl living with her grief over her sister's death. The characters were great -- I loved Mrs. Grant and all the fun grilled cheeses. Twitch and his friends were also great. And I also loved that Amelia's dad dealt with his grief by quitting his job and starting a food truck.

But this was not a story about Amelia going through and completing Clara's list.

Review on BookNerdsAcrossAmerica.com: http://www.booknerdsacrossamerica.com....

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful book. It’s a story about family and friendships, and living with grief after someone close to you has died.
Sibling death stories are always so emotional, and this is no exception.
Amelia’s big sister died three years ago, and the pain hasn’t gone away. With the encouragement of her best friend, Amelia decides to tackle her sister’s dreams for eighth grade--to do the things her sister didn’t live to do--and finally get some closure and maybe work through her grief.
I really liked how it wasn’t a recent death that Amelia was struggling with. It happened three years ago, but it’s still a daily struggle for Amelia to go the day without crying, and that the whispers of ‘the dead girl’s sister’ still follow her down the halls. I don’t think I’ve come across one before where the emotion is still so fresh and confronting for the MC this far along, but I really liked how it normalised it. Everyone deals with grief differently, and we get to see that in her family and in Clara’s old friends and how everyone reacted a little differently.
Amelia is still trying to process, and has been to therapists in the past, but is still in that fresh wound stage and is looking for a way to move on. It was a beautiful tribute to her sister and the strength of their love, even when they annoyed each other most of the time.
Amelia’s best friend in here is so understated, but that girl is a saint. I wish she had her own book so I could read that too.

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three years after Clara dies, her younger sister Amelia is still drowning in grief. When the eighth grader finds a letter with Clara’s goals, Amelia sets out to do the things her sister never could. With the help of her best friend’s grandmother and a few friends, Amelia learns to manage her grief.

Through Amelia’s story, KA Holt does a great job showing readers that grief doesn’t have an end date, but that through time and hard work, it can become manageable. FROM YOU TO ME is different from other stories about death because despite being three years after Clara’s death, Amelia’s pain is still intense. She still bursts into tears frequently at inconvenient times, for example.

Amelia is such a relatable character, even for those who haven’t experienced such profound grief. She wants to do the right thing, but often fails. She wants to be a good friend and sometimes fails. She’s flawed and lovable at the same time, as are her friends. Every kid needs a Mrs Grant in her life.

FROM YOU TO ME is a must add for classrooms, libraries and therapists’ offices.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really really liked From You to Me. I thought the author did a great job with just getting the main problem out at the start of the story. I loved how throughout the whole book the main character was working towards solving a problem she has faced her whole life. I never wanted to stop reading. Overall, I gave From You to Me 4 stars.

[Sarah Manzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story. The simplistic writing makes it not for a high reader, but maybe a mid level sixth grader. Nice family story.

[Jasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

i thought this book was gay, little disappointed it wasn't but still a classic

[Heaven Adore · Rating 2 out of 5]

RTC

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast read that is completely a MG book. I am excited to be able to head back to school and book talk this with some classes, especially in grades 6 and 7. *It does deal with death/grief, so make sure to keep that in mind when recommending it to readers.*

Amelia is tired of being the "girl with a dead sister" but there's no changing it. No matter what, she can't go back 3 years. Can't change her sister getting in the canoe at the lake. Can't change her last words to her ("I hate you; I never want to see you again!"). Can't change the look Clara's best friends had when they rushed out of the water and said she had gone under.

But now, at the start of 8th grade, her ancient English teacher accidentally gives her CLARA'S letter to herself from 6th grade. And reading the list of things that Clara wanted to accomplish gives Amelia an idea. Maybe working through the list will help her feel closer to her sister and help her find some way to begin to make peace with what happened. So, Amelia is determined to try them all, from asking Billy (after she figures out who Billy is) to a dance to trying out for the softball team (if she ever learns how to throw the ball). Plus, she needs to come up with an 8th grade prank. And try to work things out with her parents.

This was a touching story about dealing with grief and trying to find your place in your family when everything has been turned upside down. Completely appropriate for grades 5-8. Highly recommend for readers who are interested in realistic fiction of any kind.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amelia has been carrying around her sister-shaped hole for three years, and on the first day of 8th grade, she received a letter from her 6th grade sister filled with all her 8th grade goals. Amelia decided to complete this list for her sister, and in the process, was able to ease some of her pain and grief.

Grief and loss books are like my niche, and this one was really sweet, touching, and lovely. Holt touches upon many of those feelings many people, who have lost a loved one suddenly tend to struggle with. Amelia also struggled with being viewed as the girl-with-the-dead-sister. She knew she would always carry some pain inside her, but she wanted people to talk to her and treat her normally.

The list was a great starter for Ameila's healing process, but it was the support of her friends and family that really helped her process all her emotions. I cried a bunch, and there were some really beautiful moments towards the end that really stood out for me.

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[Stephanie Stefun]

I wasn't sure what kind of story to expect when I started reading this novel. I was intrigued by a younger sister completing a "wish list" from her older sister who had passed in a tragic accident while at the same time learning to cope with the grief of her sister's passing.

In the end, I was close to tears, seeing how Amelia was able to learn how to cope and continue living, with help from old and new friends.

Here's a few quotes I liked from the book...

When asked if the pain of losing someone will ever feel better, Mrs. Grant answers: "The pain will lesson over time. I promise. But it will always be with you. This grief is part of you now, Amelia. It's the thread that quilts together every other part of your life....I can't promise it will get better, but I can promise it will be different over time."

"No...I'm saying that people can be mad at each other and they can forgive each other and they can be mad at each other again and they can do stupid things and they can do smart things. The best part of being a human, Amelia, is being a human. We are all whiteboards that can be covered in terrible words, erased, and re-covered in better words."

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holt, K. A. From You To Me, 208 pages. Scholastic Press, JUNE 2018. $17. Content: G.

Amelia is starting the 8th grade three years after her older sister, Clara, died in a sad accident on the lake in their small town. Instead a letter she wrote to herself a couple years earlier for school, Amelia gets Clara’s letter with a list of five things to accomplish that year. Amelia decides that maybe fulfilling Clara’s list will help her stop hurting so much. Amelia is going to get some surprises.

Am I just now noticing this proliferation of 12/13 year old girls who are filled with angst and anxiety? Holt does a much better job than some I have read lately in skating the line between girl who has issues she can eventually grow with vs girl who needs deep psychiatric care and in-facility care. Is till want more books about boys who deal with tough issues too. I’m tired of girls always being the neurotic ones.

EL, MS - OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you read a book (no matter what age it was meant for) and think, "This is meant for ME to read."
This is the story of Amelia. Her older sister, Clara, drowned three years ago. Amelia is still unbelievably sad but tries to fake it and get along with her life. She's entering 8th grade and mistakenly, her teacher gives her a letter her sister had written to herself. It was all the things she had planned to do that year, but was never able to. So Amelia tries to complete her sister's list.

I just finished the book and have a raging headache from crying so much. Lines like, "The pain will lessen over time but it will always be a part of you" and "I can't promise it will get better, but I can promise it will be different over time." People have said some of these things to me over this past year and I couldn't always hear them, but I'm finally listening now and know that these are truths.

[Ava Rutigliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Change has a large effect on everyone, and sometimes it's not always positive. Amelia lives in a utopia, never much change, her town always stays the same. In the book From You To Me, by K.A. Holt, Amelia struggles to handle just a little bit of change, but unfortunately her older sister Clara then passed away, and it changed her life forever. I love the beginning of the setting in the book, the author explained her town almost as boring gloomy, similar to the way that she was feeling during that time. Throughout the book, Amelia’s character in this book develops tremendously and changes for the better. This book has a very deep theme, I think that the theme is about learning to let go, and learning to move on. In this book, the character Amelia overcame such an important conflict, and her emotions throughout the book truly draw the reader in. I would definitely recommend this book to others. K.A. Holt used a style of writing almost similar to a journal or diary, almost like the person is telling you about their story. It’s in a very informal writing format, similar to many of the other books that I read over the summer. The author’s diction throughout the book caused the reader to be drawn in and the use of figurative language caused the reader to have a better understanding of the emotions that the author was trying to express.

Amelia’s sister Clara passed away 3 years ago but it still hurts her to this day. Amelia was always a happy girl and never struggled with being sad. Clara passed away in a boating accident. Once Clara passed away Amelia hasn’t felt the same, grief and pain drag her down all day, as she wishes that her sister was still with her. The author uses several examples of figurative language throughout this part of the book. In order to describe the true pain that Amelia is going though she compares Amelia’s feelings to other things that are happening around the world. She tried to be happy, and stop feeling the pain, just focus on herself, but she couldn’t. Throughout the book, Amelia learns to gain her confidence back and learns to have faith in herself again. She listens to her emotions, instead of always tuning them out. She embraces what happened in the best way she could, and uses it as an opportunity to grow. Amelia learned that her sister wouldn’t have wanted her to live in grief for the rest of her life. She would have wanted Amelia to be the same way she always had been, outgoing, adventurous, and ready for anything. The author produces a very happy and general idea towards the end of the book, talking about how she has created this amazing life, but she will still always remember her old memories. But this is not the only example of Amelia growing throughout the story, she overcomes many obstacles and achievements. She becomes a happier version of herself and doesn’t surround herself in grief anymore. This book especially intrigued me because I love the character development within Amelia. She started off as going through such a hard time and developed into a much better life and surrounding.

Amelia was heading off to the first day, not in the best mood. Still devastated from her sister’s passing, Amelia didn’t want to be known as the girl whose sister died, but surprisingly when she got to school everything was going well. The author used a lot of syntax throughout this part of the book. She reworded the same sentence over and over again, almost to make it seems like Amelia was confused and trying to figure out what was the right thing to say. Once Amelia arrived at her school she went to her seat in the back row, as everyone had stared her down the aisle. Amelia found a letter sitting on the desk. On the outside of this letter said “Amelia''. Could this be an apology letter from her teacher? Amelia had no clue. She opened the letter and inside was Clara’s note that she wrote to her future self. In the envelope was a long list stating all the things that Clara wanted to do before she finished middle school. As Amelia read through the list, tears built up in her eyes. She knew something would bring her down, but she just wished it wasn’t on the first day of middle school. As she read through the list it made her sadder, and sadder. Amelia felt obligated to finish this list for Clara, doing everything that she had ever wanted to do for her. The plot of the book, while Amelia struggles to finish this list helps the reader feel more interested as we follow Amelia through her journey, and watch her struggle, but then fight back. Towards the end of the book, the author almost rewinds the story to go over all the new memories that Amelia has made, and Amelia looks back and is proud of herself for what she has overcome. This is one of my favorite parts of the book because it truly shows how Amelia has grown throughout the story, and regain her self-love. Amelia had finally found something to stay connected to her, something to remember her, but not in a sad way. This is not the only example of Amelia finding new connections to her sister. Throughout the story, she realized that both her and her sister had much more in common than she has ever realized. The author chose the topic of the list for Amelia to accomplish, to remind Amelia of both the good and the bad, that comes with losing a close relative.

These struggles throughout the book are what make such a powerful story. In From You To Me by K.A. Holt, the author produces a very powerful message to the reader. This book is a sad book about a young girl who overcomes many obstacles and ends up happier than she ever was. K.A. Holt is a tremendous author who has written about so many different topics. She lived in Florida for a large period of her life and then moved to Dallas when she was a bit older. She experienced many things along her journey which gave her both passion and ideas to write. The things she was stuck with her and inspired her to write more. She loved to look out windows, and always listen to music, these things inspired her, gave her energy, and a passion to write. K.A. Holt took this book very heartfelt because it had a special connection to her, she didn’t specify exactly what is it, but she went through something like this and wanted to express her emotions about it.

[Aileen M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book because it started sad, with Amelia's sister being dead, and there was stuff that happened in the middle of the story that kept me hooked. But in the end, she grew to overcome her fear of the lake. I really like the character, Twitch because he can be funny and confusing. Like when he was talking about time travel.

[Hazel (Stay Bookish) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5

A heartwarming read about learning to move forward from loss. It's a little predictable, but there were moments I really liked Amelia's voice and even laughed out loud because of her quips. I appreciated the focus on family and friendship dynamics, but I was mostly hungry for a grilled cheese the whole time.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a 3.5 star for me. I know some students who will likely respond for this tale of a family working through grief. Well developed characters.

[Kelly Basque · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read full of heart and soul, love, friendship, and dealing with your grief. Amazingly written and one that will be shared with my middle schoolers for many years to come!

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, not great. A nice story, but it didn't resonate with me very much.

[shalea :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very good. I really liked the main characters. I recommend this if you like books with grief, friendships, and humor. ♥♥

[joy evangelista · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice intention but poor execution.

[Joey Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the last week a lot has been summed up in the book. Amelia is learning about who she is as a person by completing Clara's Middle School List of things she always wanted to do. She has really gotten to know a lot about who Clara was and about how she is still with her. In specifics the biggest thing I would say that has happened recently or near the end is that Amelia tried out for the Softball Team because Clara wanted to but she realized it was not for her. This event helped her realize that she can still support and remember Clara but not have to become her or what Clara wanted herself she be.

[Carli · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. This is a quick read that would be a great choice for reluctant readers. On the first day of eighth grade, Amelia and her classmates receive letters they wrote to themselves in sixth grade. Except, she accidentally receives her deceased sister’s letter because she didn’t make it to eighth grade. Clara’s note contains a checklist, which Amelia decides to do in honor of her sister. Themes of healing, trying new things, and courage make this a great choice for grades 5-8.

[Hugh Mcdonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

From You to Me by K.A. Holt has been in my to read pile for a little while now. This quick read YA book unravels the grief 8th grader Amelia has following the death of her sister a few years earlier. Through this book you live her struggles with it & the confusion grief brings to her friendships & her family as she makes her way through her grade 8 year. My students will gravitate to this realistic fiction book. #mcdreads

[Ca1t!Y# · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very good. I loved the characters and all of their characteristics.