• Age: 7 to 11
• Grade: 2 to 6

A heartfelt middle grade novel exploring anxiety from the TD Canadian Children's Award—shortlisted author of A Beginner's Guide to Goodbye.

Bertha Mae Stewart—otherwise known as Bertie—is ready for anything grade 6 can throw at her. She spends every day with her best friend Kevin, enjoys delicious cookies at her grandmother's, and has an adorable baby half-brother to dote on. But then her teacher announces a public speaking assignment, she's paired up with her worst enemy for the project, and her inside voice won't stop telling her that everything is going to go wrong.

And of course, there's that nagging little secret Bertie can't tell anyone about.

Most days, a trip to her favourite tree or a hug from Grammy are enough to make Bertie's anxiety go away for a short while. But as life grows more complicated, and Bertie pushes the noisy feelings further down, the pressure inside of her starts to build. And someday soon, she won't be able to hold it all in.

From the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award—shortlisted author of A Beginner's Guide to Goodbye, Bertie Stewart is Perfectly Imperfect is a heartfelt tale about learning to cope with anxiety amid life changes both big and small.

Melanie Mosher won an essay contest when she was in grade two and has been a writer ever since. She lives in a tiny green house with her husband, two daughters, one grand-daughter, and a dog. The house is full, but there is always room for stories. Melanie loves to write for children. Her goal is to kindle their love of words, ignite their imaginations, and spark their creativity. She has many published articles to her credit, but Fire Pie Trout is her first picture book.

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