Ida B: ...and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World is a 2004 children's novel written by Katherine Hannigan. The audio book version is narrated by Lili Taylor.
Plot
Ida B. Apple wood is a homeschooled nine-year-old Wisconsin farm girl who enjoys talking to trees in her family's orchard and playing in the brook with her dog Rufus. After hearing a chilling omen from a withered tree, her mother is diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. The diagnosis forces her father to sell a part of the orchard and enroll Ida in public school. Distressed by the change, Ida dresses in all black clothing and refuses to connect with her new classmates. As she grows more estranged from her family and the world around her, Ida learns that the family of one of her new classmates has purchased a piece of the orchard that her father sold. Ida eventually learns to adjust to the changes as her mother recovers from the cancer.
Awards
2004 Josette Frank Award winner
2004 Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book selection
2004 Borders Original Voices, Young Adult category
2005 Quill Award Nominee
References
External links
Excerpt from Ida B published in USA Today
Author Interview: Katherine Hannigan on Ida B.