Date Published: Feb 24, 2026
Publisher: Small Circles Press
almost a year since her sweet momma has died. Bottled up feelings tear her
apart inside. Grandma wants to take her little dog away. Her BFFs pressure her
to change. The cutest boy in school has a crush on her.
“It’s the universe, Ivy Leigh, welcoming in a little
change.” Mr. Winters, her neighbor, a wannabe cowboy, tells her one day.
But change is so confusing. When a pair of bullies taunt her on the bus and
tease her at school, Ivy makes a giant mistake.
With a mix of humor and poignant moments and a quirky cast of neighbors and
friends, Ivy finds a way to understand herself and make up for that mistake
she’s made. Best of all, Ivy remembers Momma: Feelings are like
fireflies caught in a jar, Ivy Leigh. They belong in the open, where a warm
breeze can carry them away!
Gael Lynch is a writer and storyteller, a teacher whose love of kids and furry
creatures has followed her throughout her life. She now lives in coastal
Carolina, a place of sunny beaches and warm breezes with her husband Tom and
her rambunctious golden retriever, Wrigley. However, Newtown, Connecticut,
with its pastoral beauty and kind-hearted people will always be a place she
calls home.
Twitter @gaellynch
Instagram: @lynchgael
