A FIELD GUIDE TO BROKEN PROMISES, by Leah Stecher, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, May 6, 2025, Hardcover, $18.99 (Ages 8-12)
A girl is convinced that finding a mysterious creature is her only chance at making things right at school and at home in A Field Guide to Broken Promises, by Leah Stecher.
When Evie Steinberg’s family moves right before seventh grade, she promises her dad that she’ll make sure everything goes perfectly. Maybe if she keeps her promise, he’ll finally forgive her for accidentally ruining the biggest moment of his cryptozoology career last spring.
Perfect means taking care of her little sister, fitting in at her new school, and never complaining or causing problems. Perfect definitely doesn’t mean being bullied by a girl who’s turning the whole school against her and failing math class.
Evie needs to fix her life before anyone finds out she’s struggling. When she uses her cryptozoologist skills to figure out the real reason her bully decided to target her, Evie realizes that she holds the key to fixing everything. She just needs proof. But how far is Evie willing to go to reveal the truth? —Synopsis provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
A Field Guide to Broken touches on perfectionism, people-pleasing, the meaning of family and bullying.
At the center of the story is Evie, a budding cryptozoologist (someone who searches for and studies animals whose existence or survival is disputed or unsubstantiated, think Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster. Her world revolves around the study of those creatures, and when her best friend from camp suddenly becomes her enemy, Evie is sure she’s been replaced by a golem (clay figure brought to life by magic).
Evie has a big heart, and the fact that she blames her former friend’s behavior on a creature makes her more endearing. She’s an offbeat character that’s sure to resonate with readers.
As an adult, it was pretty easy to see that things weren’t going to work out for Evie the way she hoped. But I don’t think young readers will mind. I think many kids wish they had the freedom to be different rather than follow the social norms.
Author Leah Stecher understands her audience, writing for them with warm confidence and an understanding of how hard growing up can be.
A Field Guide to Broken Promises is a strong contemporary middle-grade novel that celebrates imagination and being true to yourself.
Copyright © 2025 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
