13 Ways to Say Goodbye

Gr 4-7–Fussner’s latest novel in verse takes readers to Paris, where Nina is visiting her aunt solo for the first time. Her older sister Lily died a year earlier, and Nina is determined to finish the “13 Before 13” list of things her sister wanted to accomplish before her 13th birthday. Nina will be celebrating her own 13th birthday on the day she leaves Paris; it seems like an excellent way to bring closure to Lily’s last hopes, while also escaping parents who seem to have forgotten Nina exists since her sister’s death. Middle grade readers who yearn to travel will appreciate the taste of a Parisian vacation, while those pondering the intricacies of a first crush will fall for Nina’s blushing attraction to her assigned friend and guide, Sylvia. While the spare verse does not always explore Nina’s feelings to the degree of angst and yearning this burgeoning relationship deserves, it is a sweet and earnest youthful romance that will allow readers to explore the complexities of moving from friend to romance, as well as talking to family members about a crush. Nina’s grief is portrayed in sometimes awkward, possibly magical flashbacks that give a glimpse into the family’s life when Lily was alive, and ultimately allow Nina to see that she needs to live on her own terms rather than try to emulate her older sister.