Meant to Be

Meant to Be is the story of a young girl named Ivy as she learns to navigate the changes in life. One year ago, Ivy, her mom and dad, and older sister Rachel moved into an apartment. Her parents were a bit strapped for cash and decided to sell their family farmhouse. But instead of being sad, Ivy is happy to be living in an apartment community because she has made friends with two kids her age, Lucas and Alice. They watch the cooking show “Bake It to Make It” together and make different recipes, sometimes sharing the outcomes with their neighbors. Although Ivy can be pushy in her opinions, she means well. Being sensitive to others’ feelings is something Ivy finds she needs to work on.

This book touches upon many coming-of-age themes such as absentee parents with addiction issues, understanding money problems, learning how to communicate with one another without hurting people’s feelings, and how to deal with life’s changes as they come at you. This book is perfect for fans of Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, and the American Girl series.