Parents' Guide to

Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World

By Jan Carr, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

First stirrings of girl's same-sex crush gently handled.

Book Ashley Herring Blake Coming of Age 2018
Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 10+

Based on 4 parent reviews

watershedschool
watershedschool Parent of 13-year-old
February 23, 2021
age 9+

What does a crush feel like, is it a stomach ache or a weird feeling in your fingertips?

Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World is a book written by Ashly Herring Blake published on March 6th, 2018. This book is its own book and is not a part of a series. A tornado ripped through the town causing Ivy's house to get torn up into the sky and leave her with no house. Ivy is forced to live in the school gym. She was packing up when she realised her notebook with all her personal drawings, including one with her holding a girl’s hand, was missing. Notes with her drawings have been showing up in her locker with notes saying “you should tell someone about this” written on the drawing. Ivy is confused on who it is but she hopes it is one of her homeroom class mates who she is starting to have feelings for. With Ivy’s courage, will she be daring enough to spread her true feelings to the world? You’ll have to read to find out! What I liked about the book was the story line and how it was written, it had a very interesting story behind it and it made me want to read more. Every chapter ended on a cliffhanger. This is a very good book that I thought was very interesting and the book might be in my top 4 best books I have ever read. Something that I didn’t like about this book was the ending. It never tells you about Ivy and June’s future together and there is no sequel, so that is a bummer for the readers. This book is good for readers that want to learn about other people and how people that may not have the same sexual identity as them. I feel like it is more of a book for females but if a male was interested I think they would enjoy this book as well.
Patsy fitz6543
Patsy fitz6543 Adult
September 14, 2019
age 10+

Really good messages

I like this book because It expresses that it’s okay to different and you don’t have to hide it. I recommend this book.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

At the start of IVY ABERDEEN'S LETTER TO THE WORLD, Ivy's family becomes homeless when a fierce tornado levels their house. At the temporary shelter, Ivy makes a new friend, June, and also loses her beloved notebook, in which she's drawn a series of revealing pictures of herself holding hands with a dark-haired girl, whose identity is mysterious even to Ivy. Ivy already has a best friend, Taryn, who's started talking about boys, but Ivy isn't feeling it. Could her feelings about June be like the ones Taryn feels? Questions swirl. Who found Ivy's notebook, and why are they leaving notes about it in Ivy's locker? Can Ivy tell June how she feels? Will June like Ivy back? And will Ivy's family manage to stick together and survive until they can rebuild their home?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (12 ):

This lovely, reassuring book manages to be both a dramatic story of a family stressed and challenged by a natural disaster and a sensitive exploration of the beginnings of same-sex love. Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World explores both LGBTQ themes and universally human themes of family, first love, and navigating life's unexpected challenges.

The LGBTQ strands are gentle. When other girls get giggly about their preteen crushes, Ivy has glimmers that she's different, but the strength of her new crush on June takes her by surprise. Author Ashley Herring Blake gives Ivy wise friends and adults to talk to, who support her and help her tease out and express her feelings. No one imposes anything on her either way, and Robin, the older lesbian who puts up the family in her inn, counsels Ivy that she doesn't need to know all the answers, be sure about anything, or label herself prematurely, providing Ivy with a comfortable space to question. Though the real world may not always be as safe and supportive as this fictional world, the book provides a safe place to explore thoughts about sexuality and about coming of age in general.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the crush in Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World. Have you had crushes? Have they surprised you in any way? Do you think the people you've crushed on have similar feelings about you? Do your crushes make you act differently around people?

  • Do you have people you can talk to about your feelings, the way Ivy talks to Robin, or the way she freely expresses her feelings when she answers the notes in her locker? Why do you think she's kept her feelings secret?

  • Has your family ever experienced challenges or stresses that make them act differently? Do you ever feel ignored or overlooked in your family?

Book Details

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