I'll never look at an & symbol the same way again. This was a haunting portrayal of abuse from a middle grade perspective that everyone needs to read.

Wow. What a great book. Hand to students who enjoyed reading Maybe He Just Likes You, The Summer of Owen Todd, and Chirp. Very serious topic, but a topic that needs to be discussed more.

This is an incredible powerful and important book that tackles difficult subjects for young readers with the utmost sensitivity and empathy. Adult readers should read the author's notes at the back first to understand why this book goes to places that few middle grade books go. 10-year-old Della is not initially the most lovable character, but the reader can soon see past her tough exterior to the traumatized child inside. While Della wrestles with her suppressed trauma, her older sister Suki struggles with her own pain and secrets until she reaches a breaking point. Bradley is an incredible storyteller, and she brings Della to life with raw, honest, imperfect beauty. I did not expect to love Francine at the beginning of this story, but by the end, I wanted to hug her and the girls.
I would recommend this book for 4th grade and up, including adults. Stories have power, and my hope is that this book will empower a young person to speak up and out and use their own fighting words.

Della and her older sister, Suki, stayed with their mom’s boyfriend when their mom went to prison. When Suki catches him abusing Della, they run. Now they must figure out how to move forward, how to live and how to each find her voice.

Everyone should read this story. It is powerful, touching, sad, and hopeful.

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley kept me wanting to read more. I wanted to know about Della and Suki and their fate. I felt for them as they dealt with tough situations and so much change. I pushed for the happy ending that I wanted them to have. As a middle school librarian, I can see my students strongly connecting and relating to the experiences that Della and Suki had. I hope that it encourages students to speak up and know that they are not along no matter what they are facing. This book would make a great conversation piece. Students reading it should be encouraged to have a conversation with a trusted adult about the book as the content may be hard for some. Recommended for grades 6-8.

There's so much to say about Fighting Words, the story of Della and Suki after they are placed in foster care after their mothers boyfriend is arrested, long after their mother was incarcerated. The shear fact that this fictional story is occurring for real across this country is despicable; the abuse and neglect from those adults who are supposed to be looking out for these children is appalling. We're warned early about their being a "bad thing" but it goes so much deeper than one or two or three bad episodes. Della's growth throughout this book is nothing short of inspirational and a lesson to all children about the importance of speaking up.

I was surprised by how dark this one was. I'm familiar with the author, which is why I requested the book, but I wasn't expecting this. It's extremely heavy for MG. I'd like to read the reviews of CSA and foster system survivors before I would decide whether or not to recommend it.

I don’t recall how I came across this book, but once I started I could not stop. Though a YA book, this tells the story of Della and her sister Suki who have undergone unimaginable hardships in their young lives. We fall into the world of Della, a feisty, brash, complicated young “wolf” trying figure out her “pack” while transitioning into a new school and foster home after a traumatic experience.
I would definitely recommend mature young people read this book—although it is from the perspective of a 10-year-old—because it deals with triggering/mature content: profanity, trauma, parental drug abuse, and foster care.
However, as mentioned in the Author’s Note, these are commons traumas that can occur at any age. It could be where a young person had experienced these traumas and will not feel alone or had not experienced, but can learn more about empathizing with peers. It would also be beneficial for caretakers interested in trauma-informed care from a non-clinical or non-academic perspective.
My only critique is that, at times, the language/word choice is a bit more mature than the narrator (Della); however, I do have a 10-year-old sister who speaks with a more advanced vocabulary...

I walked in to Fighting Words understanding vaguely it was going to touch on sensitive topics. I walked in knowing what a phenomenal writer Bradley is. I had no way of knowing how powerful this book is.

Fighting Words is the story of 10 year old Della, who swears a lot and takes no snow from anyone. But it's also the story of her older sister Suki. The two sisters have only had each other to rely on since Della was five and their mother was incarcerated for making meth. Through telling her story, Della comes to realize the cost of Suki's protection. At her new school she uses her voice to stand up for herself and other girls that are being tormented by a bully. Della's voice is strong, brave and fierce and shows that she is a worthy member of her pack.

This is such a unforgettable story. I find myself wanting to know more about the characters. More about their permanency plans, more about Francine. The author does an incredible job of telling a realistic and haunting tale. I will be thinking of Della and Suki for a good long time to come.

Della's mom was sent to prison when she was extremely young, so her older sister, by five years, stepped up and took the place of the parent. The two girls lived with their step father, without anyone knowing that he wasn't biologically related to either of them. One night, something terrible happened to the sisters and they were removed from the home, but that is not what Della wants to talk about right now. She wants to talk about what it is like living in foster care. How the woman taking care of her is only doing it for the money, her teacher won't listen and expects more from her because of preconceived notions, and Della's new friends don't like when she stands up to the school bullies. As things get more out-of-hand-at-school and home, Della is going to face her problems head-on.

This book was perfection. Bradley can write. Her characters feel tangible and like people we meet in the real world. I love Della's voice, she finds a strength that is just awe inspiring. Her blunt manner makes her both some that will cause readers to laugh and root for her. The problems between the sisters, what they talk about, what they don't talk about, and how much of a parental role the older (but not adult) sister and Della, are heartbreaking and real. By putting a name to these issues, children will be able to talk about them if they are happening, have happened, and be able to name them if they do happen.

This book is going to be a tough sell to its age appropriate readers, but it will be one that I fight to keep on my shelves.

This story is intense, tragic, hopeful, and important. Without a heavy-hand, Bradley invites the reader to consider a person's backstory and the way that affects one's behavior. She provides language and actions to deal with bullying and abuse. But most of all, Bradley has written a book full of heart. Fighting Words will stay with the reader long after it's finished.

Gosh, this book got me at the very beginning and held me in its grip to the end. I've loved Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's work for a long time, and while this one is SO different from the historical fiction I'm used to, it still packed the emotional punch that I've come to expect from her books.
Della's voice was strong yet heartbreaking and her older sister, Suki, was just an amazing character--such a rich, complicated, flawed teenager. Della is 10 and tells the reader her story in such measured steps that I kept turning pages long after I should've gone to bed. Della is a fourth grader and comes to realize that the sexual abuse that almost happened to her had been happening for years to her older sister, and as an adult reader, I had that figured out way before hand; walking with Della as she figured it out was beautiful and heart-wrenching.
The adults in the book run the gamut from absent (the girls' mom, who is in prison) to horrible (Clifton, the boyfriend their mom left them with), to clueless (Ms. Davonte, Della's teacher) to decent (foster mother Francine), to wonderful (Dr. Penny, her principal). And her counselor is great, too (but I can't remember her name). When the counselor works with Della, she is teaching all of us about sexual abuse (which seemed preachy to this adult reader) in a way that middle grade readers can handle.
Definitely middle school appropriate, and it'll also be a book I put on our counselors' radar.

I find Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's writing very respectful towards her audience. While she covers heavy topics, she doesn't water the subject down for children, rather discusses them honestly. Kids connect to her books because of this and I think this book will be a huge success for that reason.

Review ✍🏻
This is a comprehensive review addressed to adult readers wondering about the content of this book. Therefore, it contains various spoilers.

I should have guessed the parts of the story that weren’t about me. I should have guessed what had happened to Suki. I’ve learned that some things are almost impossible to talk about because they’re things no one wants to know. Not even me. That’s the first hard thing I’m telling you. It might not look hard, not yet, but it’s very nearly the hardest thing of all. Sometimes you’ve got a story you need to find the courage to tell.

Fighting Words, 16%
Della

Some protagonists are the star of their own story more than others, if you know what I mean. Della is the star of Fighting Words. She makes a great narrator, telling her story with a clear, sharp voice. She’s been through a lot, and she doesn’t put up with crap – as she tells you on the second page. Della knows how to use her words, even if they aren’t school appropriate. Having a story like Della’s told through a voice like her in retrospect (I mean Della is telling you her story after it happened) makes it a little easier to digest. Della makes a memorable protagonist who shares her experiences in a compelling yet thoughtful manner.

The Hard Parts

Della warns the reader throughout about hard parts, acknowledging that one terrible experience isn’t yet the hardest part. But there’s no sugarcoating of those two hardest parts, the ones noted in the content warning above: her experience of sexual assault and her witnessing of her sister’s self-inflicted stabbing. Della describes what happens from her point of view, in a manner appropriate for a ten year old. These scenes make this book one I particularly need adults to read before passing on to a child.

What Clifton did to me is still not the hardest part of this story.

Fighting Words, 49%
For Della, the hardest part of her story is realizing what her sister has been going through. Their sibling relationship is stronger than most because of what they’ve been through together. Suki tries to protect Della by not telling Della what she (Suki) has experienced. It definitely made my heart ache to follow along as Della comes to realize that Suki has been hurt even worse than Della has.

School Ground Consent

What seems to be a minor subplot, somewhat mirroring the main storyline, comes to the front later in the story to emphasize consent. Della and her friends are regularly harassed by Trevor, who pinches their backs and laughs that they don’t wear bras. Della learns, from her experience speaking with a therapist, how to explicitly state she does not consent and bring attention to Trevor’s inappropriate behavior. Della’s school experience highlights the problem of permitting ‘boys will be boys’ behavior while also showing how to push back against such attitudes. When the teacher asks the girls why they didn’t speak up earlier:

Nevaeh said, “I told my teacher last year. Trevor said he didn’t do it. The teacher thought I was lying.”
Luisa said, “My dad says I have to fight my own battles. But I don’t like fighting.”
I said, “You think you already know all the answers about me. You don’t listen.”

Fighting Words, 90%
“I Called Him a Snowman”

The apparently strict rule against swearing in middle grade fiction leads to the somewhat awkward use of ‘snow’ throughout in place of stronger language. Della addresses this in the first pages of the novel, stating “Everybody I know uses bad words, just not written down.” As an adult reader, I find this frustrating. Just put the bad words in! I can sort of understand the rationale behind not doing so. But as Della bluntly points out, kids know bad words and hear them all the time. Is seeing them written in a book written for them such a problem? I dunno…

Suki says whenever I want to use a bad word, I can say snow. Or snowflake. Or snowy.
I kicked him right in the snow.
Don’t you take snow from nobody.
Yeah, that works.

Fighting Words, 2%
Note: Quotes taken from an uncorrected proof.

The Bottom Line 💭
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Although Fighting Words won’t be suitable for all young readers (I would encourage its recommendation by adults only to children they know well), it is a strong addition to the growing body of middle fiction addressing sexual assault

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley; Dial Books for Young Readers, 256 pages ($17.99) Ages 9 to 12. (Aug. 11 publication)

No reader will soon forget the voice of 10-year-old Delicious "Della" Nevaeh Roberts, narrator of this powerful, heart-rending, ultimately life-affirming novel of sisters surviving the worst life can offer.

"I am ten years old. I'm going to tell you the whole story. Some parts are hard, so I'll leave those for later. I'll start with the easy stuff."

Della and her 16-year-old sister Suki have been placed in a foster home, after being removed by police from the custody of a man named Clifford, who took them in after their mother, a meth addict, set fire to their motel room and was sent to prison. Suki has always taken care of her sister, and she immediately gets an after-school job at a local supermarket as part of her long-term plan for when she ages out of foster care and the sisters are on their own. Every night Suki screams in her sleep; Della knows what Clifford did to her but she isn't clear what happened to Suki.

The author offers an indelible picture of the aftermath of abuse: the anger, the confusion, the shame, the fear, the inability to concentrate. Della can't focus on her schoolwork; her teacher gives her impossible assignments ("draw a picture of your family tree" for instance) and doesn't seem to notice that a boy in the class is constantly harassing the girls by snapping their bra straps or pinching them in the back. The author offers compelling portraits of caring adults, including gruff but empathetic foster mother Francine; supermarket manager (and basketball coach) Tony, the school principal and the girls' former neighbor Tina.

Brubaker Bradley offers a vivid view of poverty, as Della savors the simple things about her new life: The first experience of new clothes (including purple high tops) rather than hand-me-downs, an adult making a real meal of meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner, a store cashier handing her a free cookie, a friend who listens and makes no judgments. She doesn't always know how to behave (invited for a sleepover, she opens her friend's refrigerator, explaining she wants to see what "a normal family" eats). Most of all she is consumed with worry about Suki who has fallen into depression.

The mature subject matter is handled with sensitivity; Della, in a therapy session, is amazed to learn how many children are victims of sexual and other abuse, a revelation that empowers her, knowing that she and Suki are not alone. Della also swears a lot ("Fighting Words," of the title), but her swearing is represented in the text, for middle-grade readers, as the word "snow."

Wow. This book floored me. A story told from the perspective of a child about her abuse at the hands of her guardian was gutting, but so important. Bradley does an amazing job creating a character who is hurt and confused, but also strong and resilient. The reader follows Della as she navigates foster care, a new school, dealing with her memories of her own and her sister's sexual abuse, and experiencing her sister's attempted suicide. Seeing inside Della's head, we understand where her tangled-up feelings come from, and why she acts out the way she does. But Della also learns, through therapy and the guidance of an excellent foster parent, how to cope with her feelings, and also how to set boundaries for herself.

While this book does come with some big trigger warnings, Bradley outlines throughout the book how the characters can get help, what the healing process looks like, and that they are not alone. She also includes many wonderful resources in the back of her book for any readers who may be identifying with any of the events portrayed. It is a book written with compassion and hope, and I could go on about it for a very long time.

As an educator, this book was very emotional as it reminded me of the experiences of many of my students, those whose stories I know and many more that I am sure that I don't. Kids need to read this book, because it helps them to learn to either speak for themselves, and/or to be a support for others. But I also believe that all educators need to read this book as well, and we need to make sure that we are listening, watching, and creating safe spaces for the children in our lives.

This book is extraordinary! I am so glad I read it, and I would recommend it to everyone, from Middle Grade readers through adults. Really, everyone should read it!

Della, the viewpoint character, is quite a storyteller. She grabs you right at the first sentence, and never lets up. And the plot! I wish I could say it was unbelievable - it is heart-stopping, but in a good way. There is violence, prejudice, child abuse, and just all kinds of awfulness, but there is also love, hope, and a real possibility of redemption. As it all reads as real - you feel as though these characters live in your neighborhood, and you just haven't met them yet.

Some of the scenes and situations in this book will be difficult for young students but will, I believe, lead to some necessary discussion.

Highly recommended! I would give it more than five stars, if I could.

Fighting Words is a powerful story that every human should read. Sisters Suki and Della were sexually abused by the man their mother left them with when she was incarcerated for making meth in a hotel room. Now they are in a foster home, dealing with the repercussions of their past and trying to dream of a future. This book beautifully and hauntingly describes the toxic stress that controls these girls lives. It does not shy away from bad things but also provides hope for recovery when the adults in their lives listen and give them the space and resources to heal.

Della is starting her third school in one week. She doesn’t like it, but Della has learned to roll with the punches life throws her way because in the first 10 years of her life…there have been a lot of punches. With her mother in prison, Della and her older sister Suki, had been living with their mother’s boyfriend Clifton. But after years of living in fear, one night Clifton does more than just verbally abuse Della, so Suki takes her sister and runs. Getting away from Clifton doesn’t solve all the girls problems though as they end up with an uncertain future in foster care. Amidst all the uncertainty though, Della knows she can count on Suki to take care of her and protect her. It is only when Suki starts to fall apart and tries to kill herself that Della realizes the sister who has always stood up for her may now need her help.

VERDICT is that this inspiring and heartbreaking story is one that I believe will touch many readers. It was really difficult at times for me, even as an adult reader, to process everything that was happening in this book. Bradley does an exceptional job of telling a really difficult and horror filled story through a 10-year-old narrator that lets readers know exactly what is happening without becoming overly graphic. There is a part of me that wants to shelter every young person from ever reading a story like this and knowing that abuses, such as Della and Suki experience, even exists. However, the sad truth is that verbal and sexual abuse is something that many children do face and I hope stories like this make it possible for these things to be talked about more openly and result in more children getting the help they need, even if it makes us uncomfortable. Della’s friend Nevaeh shares a book with her about a family that experiences homelessness and says flat out that it is a book that means so much to her because it reflects her experience. Whether because a child has had a similar experience or cannot fathom Della’s story being true, this is an important story to have on our shelves to create empathy, open doors for difficult discussions, and hopefully lead to a better future.

HOLY SNOW.*
I couldn’t put it down. I went through every emotion with Della and Suki. I was so dang proud by the end. What a story. The kids who need this, the kids this will reach, I am so glad they have this out there for them to cling to, for hope, for courage, for strength.

*Read the book. You’ll understand :)