This book is beautifully heartbreaking. Tears leaked out of my eyes for most of Della's story. I am so sad that I need this book in my classroom, but since I do, I'm glad this book exists. Super powerful.

This is such a difficult and necessary book. Despite heavy themes I felt that it dealt with the difficult content in a way that a young reader could process. Such an important 'mirrors and windows' book.

An eye-opening, heartbreaking, hopeful story told on a way that is approachable by younger readers but still relevant for teens and adults. This story shows how deeply abuse can scar. It also shows the power of love and support.

An important, but difficult read for young readers. Della makes it clear there have been horrors in her life, and she reveals those difficulties in small doses, so savvy readers are ready when the true trauma is shared. 10-year old Della has been protected all her life by older sister Suki, but when Della learns the price Suki has paid, Della must reevaluate everything. This story feels real and will provide mirrors for some and windows for many. Highly recommended.

Books like this are so important but so easily on a line that could be crossed. The narrator of this story being so young makes it even more important. Kimberly Brubaker Bradley has taken a touchy subject with a young narrator and done her justice. Just because we don't want to talk about young people and these types of abuse does not mean it is not happening, and that can force those young people to feel ashamed of it. Books like these are hopefully a window to most, and a not a mirror. It is a talking point and can teach so much, most importantly of all, empathy. I was rooting for these sisters all the way, and find myself wishing I could know more about their futures after finishing the book.

This was tremendously well done. KBB treated each issue raised with such care, without being overbearing or heavy-handed. It’ll need to be read - and, based on the discussion questions included in the back matter, it’s meant to be read - alongside conversations with trusted adults, and I’m curious to see what age range it’s recommended for in the journal reviews.

This is absolutely one of the best books that I’ve read in a long time. Fighting words will have your stomach churning one moment then laughing out loud the next. This book is filled with brutal honesty about child sexual abuse, yet it is done with amazing compassion. Della is 10 years old, as she shares her “hard story” you grow to love and cheer for her more and more on each page. This book is based on the fact that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before they reach adulthood. We need to talk about this topic openly so that we can lower those statistics. PLEASE READ THIS BOOK.

A powerful book about a very difficult subject. Kudos to Kimberly Brubaker Bradley for tackling the issue of abuse and recovery. It is vital for children to see their lives represented in fiction - good, bad and ugly. I devoured this book in one sitting and was brought to tears by Della's experiences and her triumphs.

I received this ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fighting Words is a book that needed to be written. Della’s live has been turned upside down when she and her sister Suki find themselves in foster care, which for Della it seems like life is actually a little better, but for Suki, it’s all a little too much. There will undoubtedly be parents who disapprove when this title lands on their child’s school library shelves, but there will be many more children who need to find Della’s story for themselves, and hear that they are not alone.

Sexual abuse is not a topic many authors would take on in a middle grade book, but here, it’s handled as delicately as possible for those who are reading this purely as fiction, and as honestly as possible for those who live this as their truth. I hope it finds its way into the hands of the kids who need it.

Too many children experience what Della and Suki do in "Fighting Words" but there are not nearly enough stories. What I appreciated about this book was how it tells a story in a way to let children know they are not alone, without trying to make it seem like these are normal experiences.

Della and Suki's mother was arrested on drug charges after a meth lab explosion. They are taken in by their mother's boyfriend, Clifton, who is presumed to be their father, but no one ever looked into the relationship. Fast forward years later and Della (now 10) and Suki (16) are placed in the care of Francine, a foster parent. It is not until much later in the story that we learn why the girls were removed from Clifton's care.

This book pulls no punches. It doesn't gloss over the sexual abuse Della and Suki suffered, or the devastating effects it had on their mental health. We gain insight into how difficult it is to get mental health care when the one who needs it is so skilled at putting on a good front. Their foster mother constantly asks for help, but it is not until Suki's suicide attempt that she finally receives it. There are not nearly enough books about children like Della and Suki, and one in four girls shares their experience.

Middle grade readers will find the words of Kimberly Brubaker Bradley as balm for souls who need healing from trauma. Heavy topics such as sexual abuse, mental health, and drug addiction are handled with wisdom and sensitivity. This is a book that many of our foster children could have benefited from reading. Thank you to Kimberley Brubaker Bradley for writing a book that many of our hurting students need at this time.