Can a Brentwood brat survive without a phone?
Edna will find out.
Edna is a precocious trouble-maker wreaking havoc at school. Her therapist advocates medication, but her parents come up with an alternative cure: Edna will spend the summer in the desert with her grandparents.
Their remote cabin is cut off from cell phone signals and cable service, so they don’t have Internet. They don’t even have a television. Edna can’t imagine an entire summer without WiFi. She’s determined to rebel, but then she meets an older local boy and falls in love for the first time. How can she get to know him from the edge of nowhere?
“I loved this realistic, funny-and-yet-equally-serious, pitch-perfect novel about a young teen with no distractions–other than herself. What Edna learns over her summer in the desert makes for one of my favorite books of the year.”
Melissa Senate, author of See Jane Date and The Mosts
“EDNA IN THE DESERT is the most hilarious and realistic Young Adult book that I have read in a VERY LONG TIME…the precocious but incredibly lovable Edna really struck a chord with me.”
Author Ingrid Hall
“I LOVED the book, it was so dramatic and sweet! I just loved it, and I recommend it to students and teachers!”
Karen Casaceli, Gateway Middle School Librarian
“EDNA IN THE DESERT really captured the teenage voice…I definitely think more schools should have the opportunity to read it.”
Melissa Mehling, English Teacher, Carle Place High School
“I absolutely loved Edna in the Desert….4 out of 4 stars for realistic characters, solid writing, and moving storyline…..The author weaves a subtle commentary on modern technology’s impact upon interpersonal relationships.”
Official Online Book Club review
“What a great book! So glad we chose it! Can’t wait to come together and discuss it!”
Debbie Daubenhauser, Piperton United Methodist Church Book Club
EDNA IN THE DESERT
is on reading lists:
Weebly.com – Modern Literature for High School
Get Schooled – Books That Prove Growing Up Isn’t Easy
Westbury Library’s Teen Friendly Ebook List
Bok Academy, FL
Carle Place High School, NY
Carrie Palmer Webber Middle School, NY
Holy Trinity Regional, NY
Holy Angels Catholic School, NJ
Neshaminy High School, PA
Northgate Middle School, PA
Regis Jesuit High School, CO
Emerge (Home School Program), MT
Copper Mountain Middle School, UT
Mater Dolorosa Junior High, LA
The Royal West Academy, Quebec, Canada
Orinda Intermediate School, Orinda, Canada
Bonnyrigg High School, Bonnyrigg, Australia
EDNA IN THE DESERT
study guides
Book Rags
Super Summary
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An anti-Holden Caulfield
Edna is quirky, snarky, selfish, melodramatic, and…kind…I think she’s my new hero….
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A beautiful love story.
This is a beautiful love story. I highly recommend reading this especially if you love the desert….
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The thing that clinched Edna in the Desert a 5 star review was Edna’s voice.
It was totally believable–Maddy captured all the drama and thought processing of a young teen
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A sweet, fun read.
Lederman creates a memorable cast of characters, each unique and fascinating…
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This one is going to be a classic.
“Edna in the Desert” was a wonderful trip back to my adolescence, a spiritual journey that was refreshing…
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I recommend this book to all – not just the YA group.
The author displays patient treatment of Edna’s movement from self-centered to other-centered.
…
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Maddy Lederman is a 21 st Century Judy Blume.
We purchased EDNA In The DESERT for our neighbor’s young daughter & read it first. We Loved it…
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22OctIt was an honor to visit Carrie P. Weber Middle School last week! I’m always amazed at the excitement and enthusiasm students have when we talk about Edna in the Desert ! The readers’ insightful questions showed that they put -
10OctA story of women and war: Ava and The American Rhode Island International Film Festival: 2023 Screenplay Competition Finalist (winner announced Nov 2023) It’s the end of World War II. Ava’s a young, German actress detained with Nazi secretaries,
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30MayEDNA IN THE DESERT is now available online at Greenlight Bookstore, one of the best independent bookstores on the planet! “The mission of Greenlight Bookstore is to create welcoming spaces for discovery, conversation, and connection around books, through curation, programming
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