Isabel and the Miracle Baby

by Emily Smith Pearce

After Mama's battle with breast cancer, Isabel must forge a new relationship with her family. Isabel's baby sister Rebekah is getting all of the attention lately, and Isabel is tired of it. She's acting out, talking back, and disobeying Mama. If she could see more of her friend Tara next door, or if Daddy didn't have to work so much, maybe things wouldn't be so bad—but Mama thinks Tara is a bad influence, and Daddy's job takes him out of town for days at a time. Mama has no idea how hard it is for Isabel to make new friends at school. Every day Isabel has to walk past Alicia and the other pink-and-purple girls with their lavender pencils and matching barrettes, and she just knows they're talking about her the moment her back is turned. To top it all off, Ben, the wimpy, awkward son of one of the sick ladies from Mama's cancer support group, has transferred to Isabel's school—and he's in her class. When the teacher asks her to show him around, Isabel ends up in a fight with Alicia. What hope does Isabel have for being accepted into the pink-and-purple girls' group now? When Mama trusts Isabel to look after the baby for a few minutes, Isabel tells her little sister just what she's thinking. And soon she finds the courage to tell her mother what she's been feeling.

Hardcover

First published September 1, 2007

About the author

Emily Smith Pearce grew up in South Carolina. She has an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. She lives with her husband and their two children in Charlotte, NC.

Reviews

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Julie M. Prince for TeensReadToo.com

Why did Isabel's whole world have to change just because her mama decided to have a baby? It's good that Mama's not sick anymore, but now that the baby performed a miracle and cured Mama's cancer, can't it just go away and leave things the way they were before? When Mama used to pay attention to Isabel, and Daddy used to tell her stories of Clyde the frog?

Now, Daddy's hardly ever home because he has to work a new job. Isabel is stuck with Mama and the stinky, noisy baby in a different house and a different school where Isabel has no friends except Tara, from next door. Now Mama won't even let her play with Tara! It's not fair. Nothing is ever fair anymore in Isabel's world, and it's all because of that stupid baby!

The spirited Isabel deals with real-world problems in this well-written story of survival in the third grade. From jealousy of a new sibling and fear of the return of her mother's cancer to navigating the treacherous world of playground rules and mean kids, this book will resonate with its young readers.

Pearce displays strong writing and the ability to create relatable characters and issues. A breakout first novel!

[Josephine Sorrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in about a day. Miracle baby, I thought it had heart defects or such but no the mother had cancer when she was carring Rebekah. Now the baby is here, life is really hard for 9 year old Isabel. She is tired of being a "big girl." She wants her mama and her old life again but as we know you really cannot go back. Things begin to climax when some girls at Isabel's school begin to bully her and she doesn't handle it in the best way, but read the book and put yourself in Isabel's shoes. What would you have done. It is also about friendship and who is really your friend and sometimes it's hard to make new friends and parents just don't understand sometimes.
I enjoyed the references to towns in North Carolina; Charlotte, Rockingham, etc.

The author, Emily Smith Pierce grew up in SC and earned her degree from Chapel Hill. I met her in September of 2008 but just now picked up the book to read and I'm really glad I did.
http://www.emilysmithpearce.com/

[Salsabrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Isabel has a lot to deal with: being counted on to be a big girl, worrying about her mother's cancer recurring, resenting the attention her baby sister demands, her lack of friends at school. Her anger and frustration are depicted very realistically. I'd also recommend that parents in similar situations read it so as to understand what their kids might be going through.

[Carol Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thoughtful book on two hard topics--a young girl coming to grips with her mother's cancer plus adjusting to Rebecca, the new baby in the family. Pearce does an excellent job of showing the emotions of 8-year-old Isabel as she must accept her family's changes but also fears her mother's relapse. The language is beautiful, the book is well-written, and the metaphor of the fire burning inside Isabel is wonderful. Rebecca does end up being a "miracle baby" in a way that Isabel would never have imagined. I would recommend this book for 3-5th graders; it would be particularly helpful for a child who is experiencing cancer in his or her family.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend of my sister's wrote this one, and I enjoyed it. It's the story of a girl whose baby sister is a miracle child because she was conceived while her mom had cancer. The story is about how Isabel is adjusting to life with a baby sister and a bully at school. I like the way Isabel makes up her own names for people, such as Stirrup Pants woman or Big Hair. And I like that Isabel draws pictures that coincide with her moods and thoughts. Emily, thanks for the great book! Well done!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabel is an eight year old girl whose mother, a cancer survivor, has recently had a baby. Isabel is having a difficult time adjusting to the baby, and is still not past her mother's illness. It's a beautiful, heart-wrenching story, and the sparse prose truly transports the reader into the mind of the angry, hurt, and fearful Isabel. The cancer topic might be difficult for more sensitive readers.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Book. Fast Read. My sister-in-law's friend wrote the book.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well-written middle-grade novel about a young girl and her new baby sister. Another excellent showing by Front Street.

[Ivy Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is mainly about family issues and Isabel changes frm being cold to warm.

[Shahna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. Easy to get through.

I feel bad for the main character. Babies suck, and shitty moms suck more.

I also would have pushed Alicia. That stupid little bitch.

grrr....

[Lisel · Rating 4 out of 5]

my sister's friend is the author so that's cool