This was a book that allowed the reader to experience various points of views in a gentle manner. Just a quiet read about love and the blending of families. I know a lot of children in today’s society have anxiety. I like that this book gave therapy, without being pushy. I liked how the families behaved as a real family does.

An utter delight from start to finish. A fairly simple premise - a girl's father is remarrying and she tries to connect with a new sister - is elevated by fantastic writing. Stead has an amazing talent for bringing characters to life, every member of this lovely family felt 100% real to me. I loved seeing a young character in therapy in a positive, matter-of-fact way, and I really loved the acknowledgement of how complicated families can be underneath the surface.

Bea has a guilty conscience. Because of her parents divorce a few years ago, she sees a therapist who helps her work through her worries. Through the book, she works out the pressing worries.
The ending of the book brings you back to the beginning where Bea told a short story. The whole book is told through her viewpoint. She talks about troubling things with friends at school, getting a new sister when her dad remarries and problems with her cousins. The book is an easy read and can easily be done in one day. The situations in the book are relatable to kids.
The book was ok. I can easily see a child standing in front of me telling me this story the way it was written. The whole book seems like a run on story but it works because it’s seen through a child’s eyes.

Look for this book in April. Bea is a wonderful character surrounded by a great circle of family and friends, and she FEELS! She made me laugh and cry through all her ups and downs and trying to process what she experiences. A very satisfying story from the gifted Rebecca Stead. Copy courtesy of Netgalley.

When Bea's parents get divorced, her dad helps her focus on the things that won't change -- like her parents love for her -- even though many other things will and do change. Bea keeps a list of what won't change in a journal, a touchstone, to help her cope. Now she is excited that her dad and his boyfriend are getting married and that she'll get a new sister...she's always wanted a sister. But her new stepsister isn't as excited to be joining her family as Bea had hoped. This story is a wonderfully rich slice-of-life, growing-up story that readers will gravitate to for its authentic characters and relatable plot.

While the premise of the book is interesting (although there are three other books out there with the same idea), I felt that the main problem I had with the book was that the character felt too young for her age. However, I did truly appreciate the breaking point she had with her therapist at the end. That felt very real and cathartic, especially when she encounters her cousin at the wedding. For the most part, there are amazing, poignant insights for middle grade such as learning to forgive and also how to let things go, but I just couldn't get over the voice which seemed to be more at a level of an 8 year old.

Not a surprise that Rebecca Stead's new book is fantastic! I love Bea. She is so herself and just a normal kid. Bea's parents are divorced but even the turmoil that that brings is under control because Bea has a list of "things that will not change".

Summary: Despite her parents' divorce, her father's coming out as gay, and his plans to marry his boyfriend, ten-year-old Bea is reassured by her parents' unconditional love, excited about getting a stepsister, and haunted by something she did last summer at her father's lake house.

Bea gets anxious about a lot of things (spelling tests, musical chairs, her eczema), but she is 1000% excited about her father's upcoming wedding. She loves his fiance Jesse, the promise of cake, and the fact that she's about to get the sister she always wanted: Sonia. With the unwavering love of her expanding family, the support of her friends, and the help of her therapist Miriam, Bea works through the ordinary, monumental challenges of her tenth year. A sweet, positive story that effortlessly captures the voice of a perfectly imperfect girl.

I loved this book! It was a quick but meaningful read. It explored family dynamics and friendships. It was also interesting to see a main character in a middle grade novel suffer from eczema. It added a realistic tone to the story, and I think it will help kids learn and relate. This book was funny, heart-felt, and sad. It was also nice to see a kid going to therapy and gaining something from it. A well-balanced, fun read!

Rebecca Stead has done it again. The List of Things That Will Not Change is a tender story about a young girl, Bea, facing a changing family in a world riddled with worries and anxieties and dreams. It is heart warming. I didn’t want it to end.

So glad to have had a chance to read this book in advance of publication - I know many kids who will want to read this title. Rebecca Stead has done it again!

I'm so glad I reviewed this book via an ARC provided by NetGalley. If I had only read the description, I may have passed over this gem by Stead because it mentions the protagonist as a 10-year-old and my 6th through 8th graders usually are not interested in reading about kids below their age. However, it is narrated when she is 12 (nearly 13) and is reflecting back on her 10-year-old self. The voice and content is definitely appropriate for 4th through 8th grade readers making this a brilliantly written work. There were so many issues being dealt with throughout the story, it was not a one dimensional read. The characters were well-developed and three dimensional; all with wonderful flaws, fears, and heroism. Amazingly real story with a touching surprise, yet real, ending. What an amazing read!

"The List of Things That Will Not Change" by Rebecca Stead is a middle-grade novel about a girl whose dad is getting married -- to another man. While the depiction of Beatrice's new stepfather is overwhelmingly positive, the difficult transition "Bea" experiences splitting her time between two households (her mother's and her father's) is relatable and well done.

While the subject matter (same-sex marriage) is a relatively new theme addressed in middle-grade fiction, the pacing and tone of the story is gentle and pleasant, without too much drama or narrative twists. I thought the stepsister relationship might be more fraught with some secret character defect being revealed -- that her stepsister might be more troubled or rebellious-- but (spoiler alert), the stepsister just has a different way of handling this big family transition than Bea does.

The scenes with Bea and her therapist, Miriam, are well done. Miriam is a likable, clever, and competent guide. As other reviewers have mentioned, this story might help normalize and destigmatize the idea of therapy for school-aged kids. Bea's acknowledgement of her problems with impulse control and how she manages it, while still remaining a likable narrator, is one of the story's special charms. Recommend.

Rebecca Stead has done it again! An accessible text on a not-so accessible subject. Can’t wait to hand this to kids.

I loved everything about this book. The quiet voice, Beatrice’s perfectly human emotions that can be both beautiful and ugly and letting her have those ugly feelings., the sensitivity with which a gay parent relationship was portrayed- both for and against. I am very eager to share this with my students when it is published.

This book tackles some serious issues that young children are dealing with in our society, and does so with pathos and humor. Bea is quirky, fallible, flawed and lovable, and the author does a great job of creating a realistic portrayal of children's relationships with adults and each other. A very enjoyable read!

Beautifully written. A sincere recounting of a tough summer, and the ups and downs of being 10. It’s messy, happy moments can have sad moments woven in, life is tinged full of all the feelings (sometimes some feelings hiding behind another.. or another.. like when fear hides behind anger).

My heart felt this one. I especially loved the way Bea’s talks with her therapists were included in this one (and done so well!). For some reason or other I honestly didn’t otherwise love the characters that much.. but even so, it was beautifully done and I can appreciate a good book when I read it. This is one of those. It’s just beautiful work. Always want more from Rebecca Stead!

Rebecca Stead writes great middle grade books. This one, like her others, takes place against the backdrop of New York City. Her narrator is 10-year-old Bea, struggling to find her place as her father gets remarried (to a man). Bea experiences a lot of anxiety, and she sees a therapist to deal with her feelings. There is a great cast of characters in Bea's life, making the story really rich and colorful.

I especially like the use of the therapist in this story. My students have so many mental health issues these days, and seeing a character who goes to therapy (and it helps) is really important. I will be buying this title for my middle school library. I already have many fans of Rebecca Stead!

10-year old Bea has largely adjusted to the big changes in her life — 2 years before her parents divorced so that her father could be the gay man he had always known himself to be. Bea alternated living with each parent day by day and weekend by weekend. Now her father and his boyfriend Jesse are getting married and Bea might be getting a sister — something she has always wanted.

While not as creative as some of Stead’s earlier books, this is a well-done dive into the experiences of a young girl struggling to understand the massive changes in her life. The book serves as an excellent template for how to handle a divorce. The eponymous “List of Things That Will Not Change” is for Bea when she finds out about the divorce — my favorite: “We are still a family, but in a different way.” And indeed, that is how they behave.

Bea also sees a therapist — Miriam — and the advice she recollects at various points is clear and useful. I’m not a big fan of therapy, but I found this summary of the process and techniques for Bea to be excellent. This would be a useful book for both the target 8-12 year olds and their parents. If I had one small complaint about the book, it is that the focus is all on Bea and the new life of her gay father. Her mother doesn’t get to have much of a new life and although portrayed lovingly, doesn’t get a lot of air time.

Great story about family, acceptance, and change. A quick but emotional read.
Bea is a worrier and anxious. She also has a secret that has been gnawing away at her for a year. Bea's parents divorce because her father is gay. Bea is split between the two apartments, but it works. She has her list of things that will not change and she is happy. Then she is told that her dad is marrying Jesse - good news, she will now have a sister - great news, and she finds out about an uncle that no one talks to anymore - bad news. When she finds out her cousin is sick, she thinks it may be her fault..
Told through the 12-year-old's perspective, we learn a lot about Bea and how to be the person you are meant to be - warts and all.