Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.
The American Library Association Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature
“Min, precocious and equally obsessed with classic cinema and good coffee, broke up with Ed, a popular math-loving jock who secretly carries a protractor. Daniel Handler weaves this heartrending story of first love and other powerful firsts as Min reveals, item by item, what’s in the box she’s leaving on Ed’s doorstep. As readers learn why these two unforgettable characters broke up, the significance of these simple love tokens, beautifully illustrated by Maira Kalman, charmingly unfolds. Written with an emotional depth that allows both adult and teen readers to revisit memories of heartbreak and find pieces of themselves in Min–and maybe even Ed, Why We Broke Up will leave you wondering how Handler knows exactly what it’s like to be a teenage girl in love.”
– Amazon Best Books of the Month, January 2012
“As objects from the box are revealed in Kalman’s vividly rendered paintings, readers are taken beneath the surface of what will no doubt be one of the most talked-about romances in teen literature….A poignant, exhilarating tale of a love affair gone to the dogs.”
– Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Handler shows exceptional skill at getting inside Min’s head and heart…lending real pathos to Min’s memorabilia and making her sorrow all the more palpable.”
– Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Kalman’s spare illustrations of the objects heighten the overall enjoyment and perfectly complement Handler’s accomplished prose.”
– The Horn Book, starred review