Sketches From a Spy Tree — Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

Perched in the branches of her favorite tree with her sketchbook, Anne-Marie watches the world go by. While recording her observations of neighbors, friends, and family, she thinks about her father, who left two years before; about Mike, who seems to be trying to take his place; about her twin sister, Mary Anne, who looks like her (at least to adults) but sees things very differently. Poems in Anne-Marie's voice, sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant, and always honest, take readers through a year of change in the life of a family and in Anne-Marie's heart. Illustrations that include paintings, drawings, and collage capture the text's emotional range and Anne-Marie's own artistic vision.