Once Upon a Family

June 1, 2023
Winnie and her mom's "two girls against the world" life changes when Mom decides to marry Jeff, giving Winnie a stepdad and a younger brother she doesn't want. Eleven-year-old Winnie sees the world through a fairy-tale lens thanks to her mom's job as a literature professor. Writing in her notebook, Winnie casts herself as a princess and her mother as a queen; she does not want an evil stepfather. But Winnie's anxiety--which she's named Eustace Clarence Scrubb--causes her to see monsters where there are none, and her fear often turns to anger and causes her to lash out at Jeff's son and even new friends like her neighbor and schoolmate Abigail. But when Winnie discovers magic in their neighborhood, she shares the secret with Abigail, who tries to help her craft the perfect wish to fix her situation. Hill enables readers to see deeply into Winnie, including her past, fears, anger, wishes, and the way she perceives her own story. Though the book is told in the first person, other characters' true natures are clear through their words and actions, and secondary characters, such as grouchy older neighbor Tom Bailey, have their own stories. Hill's writing is full of poetic references readers will recognize, as when Winnie feels "like the oldest sibling in a fairy tale where only third children ever win." The few physical descriptions present point to a White cast. A modern blended family story with a sprinkling of magic. (Fiction. 9-12)

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