by Lois Lowry
First published 1992
Eleven-year-old Sam's big sister Anastasia is a budding poet, and when their mother's birthday rolls around, Sam tries to help her write the perfect poem. But Sam's own birthday gift idea - a homemade perfume - ends in disaster. As Sam navigates the fraught dynamics of his family, he learns that sometimes the most meaningful gifts come from the heart, not a chemistry set.
Genres: fiction, family, literary-fiction, family-life, realistic-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
160 pages · Paperback