Weird Sad and Silent

A new classmate helps bullied ten-year-old Daisy find her voice.

About the author

Alison McGhee is the New York Times bestselling author of books for all ages in all forms, including Telephone of the Tree, What I Leave Behind, Shadow Baby, Firefly Hollow, and Someday. She is the recipient of many awards and grants, including the Geisel Medal, the Christopher Award, four Minnesota Book Awards, and Minnesota State Arts Board and McKnight Foundation Grants. Her work has been translated into more than twenty languages. She grew up in upstate New York and lives in Minneapolis.

Summary

In this touching novel by the acclaimed author of Telephone of the Tree, an intriguing new boy at school helps Daisy cope with both bullying and past trauma.

Daisy has been working on invisibilizing herself—ever since living with her mother’s violent ex-boyfriend, and now to avoid the school bullies who are targeting her. She keeps a low profile, eating lunch with the librarian instead of in the Lunchroom of Terror and secretly counting whenever she’s anxious.

But things are looking up. A new boy has befriended her and seems able to stand up to the bullies, and the stray cat she’s been feeding is starting to almost trust her. Maybe she can finally focus on futurizing rather than invisibilizing.

Product details

• Authors: Alison McGhee, McGhee Alison
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 9 to 12
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 06.05.2025
• EAN: 9780593859674
• ISBN: 978-0-593-85967-4
• Dimensions: 146 mm x 217 mm x 18 mm
• Weight: 278 g
• Subjects: Children's and young people's books; JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Friendship, JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Bullying, Romance & relationships stories (Children's / Teenage), Children’s / Teenage fiction: Friendship stories