Another D for Deedee

From the author of the highly praised Canned and Crushed comes a new story about friendship, the consequences of bad decisions, and embracing what makes you different!

DeeDee’s life is full of D’s. Missing her dad, who’s disappeared. Distracted by her sister’s quinceañera and her brother dropping out of high school. Disappointing her family by struggling in her new school. Being diagnosed with diabetes. So many D’s she worries she’ll never fit in, and worse, never find the best friend she’s always wanted.

Then she meets River, her new neighbor with cochlear implants and finds they have the same interests. Art. Dance. Skateboarding. And they both miss their dads. But while DeeDee struggles to adjust to her new circumstances and life with diabetes, River embraces life, even his differences. River offers to help search for DeeDee’s dad and coach her in skateboarding and the two become friends. River even encourages her to participate in her school’s Spring Fling talent show.

Then River transfers to DeeDee’s new school. Instead of sticking up for him and risking being made fun of, DeeDee makes mistake after mistake until she’s forced to decide: keep the best friend she’s always wanted by standing up to her classmates, or stay silent and lose River forever? Before DeeDee can be a good friend she must learn to love differences—not just River’s but also her own.

Bibi Belford is the author of Canned and Crushed, the award-winning book Crossing the Line, and the digital short story “The Gift,” all from Sky Pony Press. Bibi currently works part time as a literacy consultant and volunteers as a reading teacher in a third-grade classroom near her Chicago neighborhood. She’s mom to four grown kids and Grandma Bibi to three of the cutest grandkids in the world.