To rebuild their broken family, a pair of audacious tween cousins must confront the long-buried secrets that destroyed it in this upper middle grade novel told from dual perspectives. Twelve-year-olds Alice and Bee are practically strangers when their grandparents’ anniversary party reunites their estranged families and ignites their own fast friendship. But their reunion doesn’t last long—Bee’s mother and grandfather are dead set on keeping the liberal Seattle faction of the family away from the conservative Minnesota crew. “It’s complicated,” the grown ups tell them over and over (and over!) again. Bee and Alice grow closer despite their geographical distance, determined to keep their friendship going—and to uncover the big family secret. What happened all those years ago, and why did it tear their family apart? Just when they've started to make progress, the COVID pandemic strikes. Bee and Alice watch as the world shuts down and their loved ones grow further divided along their fractured lines. Somehow, it’s up to the twelve-year-olds to clean up the mess that the grown ups have made. This powerful, timely story cuts deep, touching on recent historic events and intimate family details alike. With an age-appropriate approach, Rabbit Rabbit tackles religion, sexuality, bodily autonomy, and other juicy stuff you're not supposed to talk about at Thanksgiving. Readers will fall headfirst for Alice and Bee as the unforgettable tweens make space for their friendship and shifting identities while standing up to their far-from-perfect family, with all the love and grace they can muster.
Authors
Sunshine Bacon is a lot. Having ADHD means she has been intensely interested in many, many things (e.g., roller derby, glassblowing, yoga, stories, stickers, travel, good paper..,) and having autism means she'll talk too enthusiastically and too long about all of it. (She reins it in for author talks. Promise!) Sunshine writes children's fiction about the things she craved as a child: found family, unconditional friendship, and international adventures. While traveling the world, Sunshine's handed out business cards with a range of titles and collected pieces of characters and ideas for stories. Much to her partner's chagrin, Sunshine scrawls those ideas on envelopes, lollipop wrappers, fuel receipts, and (once) that little paper bit that keeps a nursing pad sticky until it's time to use it. Sunshine turns those humble, torn-paper-scrap beginnings into books that captivate readers with their authenticity, adventure, and heart. Sunshine lives in Seattle with her partner, three growing children, bulging bookshelves, toppling stacks of tabletop games, and two sets of roller derby gear that probably need to be washed.
Dori Hillestad Butler grew up writing, for she had no brothers or sisters to play with until she was eight years old. The first book she published was The Great Tooth Fairy Rip-Off , it took her many years to sell that book, followed by four more picture books. She then started writing YA books short stories have appeared in anthologies entitled, The Green Umbrella and Other Sports Stories (Highlights for Children, 1995) and Not the Only One (Alyson Publications, 1994) and in magazines including Cricket, Spider, Highlights for Children, Children's Digest, Child Life and a variety of Sunday School publications. Dori also writes educational materials, edit stories for www.storydog.com, and has a regular book review coloumn in her local newspaper. She currently lives in Coralville, Iowa with her husband, two sons, Ben and Andy, a black cocker spaniel named Molly, a cat named Ashley and a betta fish named Willie.
