{"product_id":"9780374370527","title":"In the Country of Queens","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eIn the Country of Queens\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Cari Best\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn Amazon Best Book of the Month\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEleven-year-old Shirley Alice Burns lives with her domineering mother, Hurricane Anna, and loving Grandmother. One day she unexpectedly discovers that her beloved father isn’t in Absentia as her family would have her believe, but dead. And she understands all too well why they haven’t told her; she’s always been shy and quiet, and Anna has always been protective of her. But if Shirley doesn’t start speaking up, she isn’t going to be able to do the things she wants to do: go on vacation to Lake Winnipesaukee with her cousins, stop taking ballet lessons, and talk about her father. Through the help of a mouse, her hero Pippi Longstocking, and her cousin Phillie, Shirley finds the strength to give her dreams a voice and convince everyone, even Hurricane Anna, that she doesn’t need to be sheltered, especially from the truth. \u003ci\u003eIn the Country of Queens\u003c\/i\u003e is the debut novel from acclaimed picture-book author Cari Best.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Picture-book author Best's first middle-grade novel sparkles and pops like a Fourth of July firecracker.” —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003cb\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Will tug at readers’ heartstrings.” —\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An engaging story . . . Best does do a good job of capturing a time and place and showing readers how confidence builds—Shirley’s and perhaps their own.” —\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e“\u003c\/i\u003ePeriod details bring Shirley’s world to life. [She] is an honest and relatable narrator.” —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eMy Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Zulay's voice shines with rhythm and sensory detail, immersing  readers  naturally in her experience. . . . A slightly raised Braille  alphabet on the back cover is a nice touch. Blind and sighted  kids alike  will enjoy this cheery outing.\" —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003cb\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Best's prose and Brantley-Newton's digital images exude warmth and  empathy.\" —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly  \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Best's rendering of the cheerful inclusiveness in Zulay's classroom toward a child with a disability is equally exciting.\" —\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eAva and the Real Lucille\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Endearing.” —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Lucille is the real deal.” —\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Reads aloud well . . . A warm story with its own quirky charm.” —\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9780374370527\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":40660248592590,"sku":"9780374370527","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_943e16b0-196d-4bf5-8e72-c5fe43bcdead.jpg?v=1639535519","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9780374370527","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}