“You could say this book is about a spunky home-schooled fourth grader with a special affection for her family’s apple orchard, who ends up in a public school when disaster strikes. You could say she not only survives but thrives. You could say all those things and be right, but you’d be missing the heart and soul of this unforgettable book. Listen up! Ida B has something to say. About everything. She is witty and wise and laugh-out-loud-‘til-your-sides-hurt funny, outspoken, vulnerable, tough, and tenacious. The way she thinks and connects so personally to her world, her delightfully expressive choice of words, her resilience—everything about Ida B is singularly spectacular. Don’t miss it.” Reading Today (Journal for the International Reading Association), 2004.

“This bittersweet, funny and realistic tale about a child’s first taste of life’s more difficult problems begs to be read aloud and announces the arrival of a new writer to watch.” USA Today, September 9, 2004 (Fall Picks).

“What makes this novel so memorable is the strong, honest voice of Ida B herself. First-time author Katherine Hannigan creates a narrator who is smart and spirited, yet complicated…Young readers will share this book with each other, and those of us who get to share books with young readers will find ourselves buying extra copies so we’ll have enough to go around.” Bookpage, September 2004.

“Full of spunk and imagination, debut author Katherine Hannigan’s Ida B bursts onto the kid-lit scene like a Ramona Quimby for the new millennium…Clever, quick and truly original, Ida B is for any kid who has ever dug himself into a hole from which the only way out was to grow up.” Time Out New York Kids, Fall 2004.

“Through a masterful use of voice, Hannigan’s first-person narration captures an unforgettable heroine with intelligence, spirit, and a unique imagination…With just the right amount of tension in the plot, a spot-on grasp of human emotions, and Ida B’s delightful turns of phrase, this book begs to be read aloud.” School Library Journal, August 2004 (starred review).

“A poignant, affirming, and often funny debut from a promising new author.” Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2004 (starred review).

“Hannigan show a remarkable understanding of a stubborn child’s perspective in her honest, poignant portrayal of loss and rebirth.” Publishers Weekly, July 2004 (starred review).

“First-time novelist Hannigan avoids many of the pitfalls of new writers, bypassing obvious plotting; Ida’s mother’s cancer, for instance, is a reference point, not a story line. What this really concerns is the fury children can experience, the tenacity with which they can hold onto their anger, and their inability to back away once the emotion no longer serves them. Hannigan presents it all brilliantly in fourth-grade Ida’s first-person voice.” Booklist, August 2004 (starred review).

“Hannigan show a remarkable understanding of a stubborn child’s perspective in her honest, poignant portrayal of loss and rebirth.” Publishers Weekly, July 2004 (starred review).