The Brilliant Ideas of Lily Green

Description

A dash of Judy Blume, a spoonful of secrets and a whole lot of fun get mixed up in this big-hearted debut by Ampersand Prize-winning author Lisa Siberry. Twelve-year-old Lily Green's life is falling apart. Her best friend, Violet, is more interested in the latest shade of lip gloss than hanging out. Her enemy, Zoe, is determined to beat Lily in the school science competition - and win Violet's friendship, too. Worst of all, Lily's precious family beauty salon - the last connection she has to her dad - has hit hard times, and her mum has decided to sell it. When Lily accidentally mixes up a string of wild and wonderful beauty products from the mysterious plants in her neighbour's garden, she thinks she's found the perfect way to save the salon - and get her best friend back. But are her inventions as beautiful as she thinks? And when things start turning ... ugly ... can Lily find the real 'secret ingredient' that will save the salon, seal her friendships, and win the school science competition? Beautifully written and full of warmth, this captivating middle-grade novel explores family, friendship and the true meaning of beauty. Shortlisted for the 2020 ABDA Best Designed Children's Fiction and the 2020 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year

Lisa Siberry is a freelance writer and content producer who spent many years working at the ABC. She lives in Sydney with her husband and two children. Her debut middle-grade novel, The Brilliant Ideas of Lily Green, won the 2017 Ampersand Prize, the premier award for debut authors in Australia and New Zealand. Like Lily Green, she made lots of things when she was a kid, including a very dreadful squashed-jasmine-flower perfume.