He's her only friend.
She's his biggest secret.
Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year (2018)
A VOYA Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers 2017 Selection
Finalist for the 2017 Cybil Awards, (Middle Grade Fiction)
Diverse Books Club pick (February 2018)
"A realistic story with strong, recognizable characters that doesn't reduce cystic fibrosis to a tragedy."
―-Kirkus Reviews
"Filled with smart, witty, and magical writing, Kit and Caleb, and those around them, come to vibrant life in this heartbreaking story about the ties that bring people together, and the difficulties of facing the truth."―-Booklist
Vrabel weaves all these elements into a story reminiscent of Katherine Paterson's classic Bridge to Terabithia that highlights day-to-day life with a common but devastating disease. Hand to readers looking for a novel about both the magic and the pain of friendship.―-School Library Journal
"A compelling story of two struggling kids making their own safe haven."
―- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Order your copy from Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Books-A-Million, Indie-Bound, or Target.
Twelve-year-old Caleb is shorter, frailer, and more protected than most kids his age. That's because he has cystic fibrosis, a diagnosis meaning lungs that fill with mucus and a shortened lifespan. Caleb tries not to let his disorder define him, but it can be hard with an overprotective mom and a perfect big brother. Then Caleb meets Kit-a vibrant, independent, and free girl-and his world changes instantly. Kit reads Caleb's palm and tells him they are destined to become friends. She calls birds down from the sky and turns every day into an adventure. Her magic is contagious, making Caleb question the rules and order in his life. But being Kit's friend means embracing deception and danger, and soon Caleb will have to decide if his friendship with Kit is really what's best for him-or her.