Four girls. Four generations. One family.The second entry in the beautiful new series from Ann M. Martin.

Dana is Abby's daughter -- but she's always been much closer to her father, Zander. He's a celebrated New York author who encourages Dana's artistic talents . . . even if he sometimes drinks too much. Dana is on his side in any argument, regardless of whether he's wrong. And then her father dies. After years of moving, often with her mother and three siblings, Dana is angry at Abby and wants nothing more than to leave her family and get back to New York City. She moves in with her young, bohemian aunt Adele, determined to study art, attend school, achieve independence, and avoid all the mistakes her mother made. But can she leave her family and Maine behind?

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-7-This installment spans 11 years and focuses on Dana. The book opens on July 7, 1955, as she and her twin, Julia, are celebrating their seventh birthday. Two years later, their younger brother, Peter, enters a school for children with "mental retardation." Their father, Zander, is a famous author, and while he tends to drink too much, the family has a comfortable and exciting life in New York City. However, things take a turn for the worse as the Burleys face unexpected challenges, including Zander's death in an accident, the birth of a child who will be fatherless, and financial insecurity. Martin does a good job of weaving in the history of the time period, including the Cold War and the assassination of President Kennedy. Time moves quickly with each chapter skipping ahead several months. The rapid passage of time and challenging issues may limit the audience, but tweens who have outgrown the "American Girl" series may enjoy this novel that explores the idea of family and home.-Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga Public Library System, OHα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journal. LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

The story opens in 1955, as Dana and her identical twin, Julia, celebrate their seventh birthday. Julia clings to her sister by choosing an identical outfit to wear, while Dana’s fervent, guilty wish is for a bedroom of her own. The nature of their push-pull sisterhood marks Dana’s childhood in one way, while relationships with her father and mother also have long-term effects, which she comes to understand better as she grows older. The story concludes in 1971. Fans of the Family Tree series, which traces the lives of four girls in different generations of the same family, will have no trouble figuring out that the character sometimes referred to as Dana’s mother and sometimes, somewhat confusingly, as Abby was the girl who grew up in book 1, Better to Wish (2013). While the novel’s long time frame gives its structure an episodic quality, Martin’s ability as a storyteller will keep readers turning the pages to find out what happens next, both to Dana and to Abby. Grades 5-7. --Carolyn Phelan

Review

Praise for Family Tree:* "Authentic . . . poignant . . . sure to satisfy." -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review"Remarkable. . . [an] exceptional first volume." -- WALL STREET JOURNAL"Martin excels at capturing the hopes and hardships of adolescent girls. . . powerful." -- THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW"The story has that addictive quality of the multigenerational family saga . . . We're hooked. Bring on the next book." -- THE HORN BOOK

About the Author

Ann M. Martin is the creator of The Baby-sitters Club, which has more than 190 million books in print, making it one of the most popular series in the history of publishing. Her novels include A Corner of the Universe (a Newbery Honor Book), Belle Teal , Here Today , A Dog's Life , On Christmas Eve , and the Main Street and Family Tree series, as well as the much-loved collaborations P.S. Longer Letter Later and Snail Mail No More , with Paula Danziger. Ann lives in upstate New York.