IZZY KLINE HAS BUTTERFLIES

So many moments—big and small—make up a year, and Beth Ain chronicles them all in this heartwarming novel in verse, perfect for fans of Fish in a Tree and books ike Brown Girl Dreaming and The Crossover.

Fourth grade is here, and Izzy Kline is nervous! There are plenty of reasons for the butterflies in her stomach to flap their wings. There’s a new girl in her class who might be a new best friend. The whole grade is performing "Free to Be... You and Me"—and Izzy really wants a starring role. And new changes at home are making Izzy feel like her family is falling apart. First-day jitters, new friends, an audition... How many butterfly problems can one fourth grader take?

Author Beth Ain says:

"Recently, I came across a visual of butterflies rising out of an open book—it was so serendipitous and I thought what if a young reader could write on a butterfly his or her own butterfly moment and release the anxiety or celebrate the burst of new friendship, a soccer goal, a good night with Dad? What if all of those butterflies filled a wall – of a bookstore, or classroom, or bedroom? What are your butterfly moments? What gave you a little thrill this week? What did you push through to get to something special? What stirred the butterflies in you? These are the small moments I’m thinking of, these are the small moments that make up our big lives."

Beth Ain grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where she and her best friend were free to finger-paint in the basement, and make plays, and get in and out of fights and hysterical fits of laughter, all to the soundtrack ofFree to Be... You and Me. She is glad to have friends and family who encouraged her to be creative with her memories. She is the author of several books for children, including the Starring Jules series. She lives in Port Washington, New York, with her husband and two children.