Description
Firefly lived in the park across from her mother’s home. It was safer there. But after the bad night happens, and her baseball-bat-wielding mother is taken away, social services sends Firefly to live with her Aunt Gayle. She hardly knows Gayle, but discovers that she owns a costume shop.
Yes, Firefly might be suffering from PTSD, but she can get used to taking baths, sleeping on a bed again, and wearing as many costumes as she can to school.
But where is “home”? What is “family”? Who is Firefly, for that matter … and which costume is the real one?
Author Bio
Prizes
- OLA Best BetsCommended 2021
- MYRCA Northern Lights AwardNominated 2023
- Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book AwardWinner 2022
- Governor General's Literary Award for Young People's Literature - TextWinner 2021
- IODE Violet Downey Book AwardShort-listed 2022
- Rocky Mountain Book AwardNominated 2023
- Forest of Reading - Red Maple AwardNominated 2022
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“Firefly is a great character and one that readers will absolutely root for – and learn about resilience from.”
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“Firefly was an enjoyable read filled with interesting characters, emotional moments, and mental health awareness and education. A realistic book that youth may easily relate to. Highly Recommended”
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“I believe the author provides readers who have had a hard life some comfort in knowing that others go through troubled times too and gives others a glimpse into harsh realities that some kids endure. The book is enlightening and invokes empathy in the reader.”
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“With poetic prose, a memorable character and evocative settings, Philippa Dowding deftly handles challenging subjects in this emotionally honest story. Supported by a unique cast of characters, Firefly will shine for readers and resonate long after they close this quietly powerful book.”
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“The appeal of Firefly, like so much of Dowding’s work, isn’t limited to young readers. Her nuanced depiction of trauma, the search for identity, and the desire to define what ‘family’ means will resonate with readers of all ages.”
Review Quotes
“We wish we could meet these characters in real life! We love how the staff at the magical costume shop became a family for Firefly, and how every character evolved and grew — even the cat! Firefly is so relatable, with very human flaws, and we want to see her again in another story.”
“This award-winning book is a poignant exploration of grief that touches on many heavy topics, but with a light touch that leaves readers feeling hopeful and more conscious of the fact that there is often so much more going on in people’s minds and hearts and lives than what we see on the surface. The characters are deftly-drawn, the setting is unique and Firefly’s story is moving and thought-provoking.”
— Canadian Children's Book Centre March 2022 newsletter“Firefly is a not to be missed book and I can see why it has received the accolades that it has this year. So many readers will see glimpses of their own lives and their own feelings of otherness and will connect with Firefly in a deep and meaningful way.”
— Storytime with Stephanie