BELIEVE
A Novel
2021 Winner of the Eric Hoffer Book Award for Middle Readers and First Horizon Award for Debut Books.
2022 Winner of Best Book Award for Children’s Fiction from American Book Fest.
Eleven-year-old Melanie knows she’s special. She’s never been bored. She understands the secret language of old houses and makes jewels out of broken glass. Her imagination can do anything — except make friends. It’s 1980, and life as a fifth grader at Buckminster Experimental School is lonely at best, when she’s not dodging Karen, the school bully. Then, Melanie meets Sabrina, who looks like a TV star and acts like a spy, and who doesn’t care what anyone thinks. She teaches Melanie how to believe in herself, and soon Melanie starts living her dreams. She even lands the lead in Peter Pan!
If only she could share it all with Mom. Missing her mom is like trying to breathe with one lung. It’s bad. Sabrina thinks they can track her down, and Melanie wants to believe, but sometimes it’s easier to pretend. Her new life feels like a house of cards, until one day it all comes crashing down and she finds herself with no choice but to face the truth… and let go.
Praise for BELIEVE
“Using her powerful imagination, her gift for reading people, and her new friend’s confidence, Melanie sets out to find the truth about her Mom. Her journey brings mystery and heartache. This is a tender story of grief and the power of the human spirit.
–Eric Hoffer Award
“A poignant coming-of-age tale with a compelling mystery at its center.”
–Kirkus Reviews
“Believe had control of me, keeping me wondering, wanting, and waiting for a conclusion I thought I might have figured out. Nope, I was wrong, but no spoilers here. You need to read Believe to find out how everything and everyone plays out. The story is perfect for boys and girls.”
— Kids Lit Review, starred review
“This accomplished, often insightful novel examines, with tenderness and empathy, the life of an unpopular middle school girl in the early 1980s… Mathison writes clear, crisp, compelling prose that deftly guides readers to what matters in a scene and omits what doesn’t…The character of Melanie stands out as an inspired, convincing creation, a young person learning to become comfortable in her own skin.”
–Critic’s Report, Book Life Prize
“A riveting story of loss and friendship. Mathison’s characters, young and old, are so well realized that they live on in the reader’s mind long after the book is closed.”
— Margaret J. Anderson, author of Searching for Shona
Believe is an amazing book and has become one of my favorites. The way Julie Mathison, the author, tells Melanie’s story is so descriptive that you feel like you are in the book. I went through the whole book and never wanted to stop reading! The characters are wonderful and have such different personalities, from the class clown to a bully. I would recommend this book for people ages 10+ because of the deep meaning of friendship.
— Anissa, age 11, reviewer, LitPick.com
Melanie is an incredibly loveable character. I felt immediately invested in her story. Her imagination is wild and lovely… Fans of THE OTHER BETTER ME by Antony Jon or NOT IF I CAN HELP IT by Carolyn Mackler will definitely want this book in their libraries.
— Kasey Giard, reviewer, The Story Sanctuary.com
