I’ve had Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy sitting on my shelf for a while now, and in an attempt to whittle down my work-related TBR, tossed it into my carry-on bag before I headed to the airport yesterday. I’m so glad I did! A sweet, lovely, joyful gem of a book. I was expecting it to be YA, but instead discovered a middle grade book full of heart and humour.

Patricia DiMarco is known as Sweet Pea by everyone in her life – and her life is a little weird right now. She’s in a constant battle of insults with her former best friend, her divorced parents have set up almost identical houses 2 doors apart so that her life can stay “normal”, and her eccentric next door neighbour who writes the local paper’s advice column has just asked her to carry out a detailed and frankly a bit strange house-sitting and mail sorting job while she’s away.

It’s all going kind of ok … but then Sweet Pea recognises the hand writing on one of the letters that is sent to her neighbour seeking advice. Of course, she decides to answer it herself … and what follows is a sweet narrative about changing friendships, dealing with prejudices, and accepting people for who they are.

I read this in a couple of hours on the plane last night, and had the biggest smile on my face when I finished it. Great for upper primary readers, or teens/ adults who want a sweet, diverse, and delightful quick read.