It's not every day you encounter a hamster experiencing an existential crisis, but Sapphire has spent her short pet-store life convinced that she's waiting for...something. At first she thinks it's to be FREE, but it may be possible that life has a greater purpose in store-a purpose Sapphire will discover thanks to a nine-year-old girl whose family is changing in ways she doesn't quite understand. Jeannie's dad has moved out, her mom is always tired and snappish, and her older brother just wants to play video games in his room all day. Jeannie doesn't understand what's going on, but she knows one thing: she really, REALLY wants a hamster. Her mom promised she could buy one with her Christmas money, but it's been WEEKS since the holidays and Jeannie's beginning to worry she'll never get her pet. But maybe if she does, her dad will come to visit. Maybe a hamster will make everything better. Narrated by Jeannie and Sapphire in alternating chapters, Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life is a touching middle-grade novel by award-winning author Beverley Brenna that explores themes of family, friendship, togetherness, and self-identity. With a cast that includes a transgender neighbor, a father coming out as gay, and a realistic protagonist who will appeal to fans of Ramona Quimby, Brenna's latest offering is an age-appropriate introduction to some difficult subjects that also abounds with humor and poignancy.

 

This book was recognised by the Redrover Recommended Books with Humane Themes - Domestic Animals.

This book has been graded for interest at 7-11 years.

There are 160 pages in this book. This book was published 2019 by Pajama Press .

Victoria Allenby has been writing poetry and stories for as long as she can remember. Her debut picture book, Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That, won the 2014 Preschool Reads Award and was nominated for the 2015 SYRCA Shining Willow Award. Timo's Garden was a New York Public Library Best Books for Kids & Teens selection. A freelance writer and editor, Victoria lives in Toronto, Ontario. A folk artist and award-winning illustrator who trained at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Tara Anderson is known for her lively and humorous illustrations of animals. Her books include That Stripy Cat, Rhino Rumpus, and the award-winning Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That. Tara shares a farmhouse in Tweed, Ontario, with her husband, her young daughter, and several cats. Bev Brenna is the author of several previous novels for Red Deer, most recently Waiting for No One which has received accolades as the follow-up to Wild Orchid. Beverly Brenna lives in Saskatoon.