Write Me If You Dare!

Two weeks before Mothers Day 2008, I was looking for ideas on the web on what to do for a 11 year old who has lost their mom. I came across this book. I ordered 2 copies, one for me and one for the 11 yr old. The similarities to my own life was amazing. I am dating an amazing man who has an 11 year old daughter named Maddy as well. Her mom died when she was 8 yrs and she is now 11 yrs old. Though the story is fiction, I found that a lot of the feelings and emotions were definitely genuine. I met Maddie 's dad in church. We began to date and feel in love. Ater one and a half years of dating our Maddie cannot accpet her dad dating me, she often cried herself to sleep. After seeing his little girl cry herself to sleep, her dad has totally distanced himself from me. He is angry with me and himself. He was so burdened with guilt and torn. He says, to me "you are the best thing to ever happen to me and I love you with all my heart." I know he does and I pray that he one day he is able to let go of the guilt, find balance and allow himself to be happy as well. I thought the part at the end of the book with Grandpa talking to Maddie was very encouraging. Maddie said to Grandpa, "I read that if a bee is left all by itself, it usually won't live more than twenty-four hours." Grandpa looked thoughtful. "Sounds a lot like what happens to people." he remarked. "Of course, people don't kill over like bees. Left alone, they tend to die little by little - inside." Maddie said, like Pearl after her sister died?" Grandpa concurred slowly, "Well yes, but like your father, too." Maddie felt her jaw tighten. "It's not the same," she said, contradicting him. "Dad wasn't alone after Mom died. He had us. He has us." But even as she said it, she knew that isn't what Grandpa meant. Ever since her mother died, Maddie had been trying to fill the empty place in her dad's life; but it hadn't happened, and it never would. It wasn't that her dad didn't love her - he did. So why did it hurt so much when someone else wanted to love him, too? This book really spoke to what we are going through right now. I hope my Maddie reads the book and gets the healing and support she needs and begins to accept her dad and I dating and getting married. Signed, carbon copy

Maddie begins a pen pal relationship with a stranger when she finds a balloon and a note attached; but quickly comes to believe her new friend is a ghost from the past. Pearl uses old-fashioned phrases and sends a photo decades old; but the real surprise comes when Maddie decides to track her down. Mystery, supernatural overtones, struggles with a new person in the family and a surprise ending make for a fast-paced, highly recommended story.

Write Me If You Dare! is a compelling story of Maddie, an endearing, fun-loving, courageous eleven-year-old who has lost her mother. A pen pal comes into her life just as her father begins dating a woman quite different from her mother. Maddie, her father, and grandfather and their relationships are exceptionally well-drawn and convincing as Maddie tries to accept her father's new friend. Interwoven throughout the book is a fascinating study of the family's bee-keeping enterprise. The story is told in a warm, reflective style, while Maddie herself is a bright, engaging youngster full of personality. I grew to love the characters. This story is meant for 8-12 year-olds, but I am a full-blown adult who laughed aloud, cried and felt every emotion in between as I read to the finish. I hope Emily Rhoads Johnson writes many more stories!

Maddie, the book's main character, is wonderful. She's bold and adventuresome, smart and fair, and best of all someone who knows how to stand up for herself. But she is also going through a tough time and feels lonely and abandoned--like many 12 year olds. She finds a mysterious letter telling her "Write me if you dare" and begins a correspondence that allows her to feel better for a while, and eventually helps her to grow up a bit. I won't reveal the great ending, but will mention that the book has the added attraction of teaching readers all about the beekeeping business, a family business that Maddie helps out with that gives her a sense of competence and being needed. It's a good book for any 10 to 13 year old but particularly for girls that age who may be struggling to adjust to life with just one parent (Maddie's mom has died) or to accept a parent's new partner.