By Gennifer Choldenko
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2024. Fiction. 309 pages.
Eleven-year-old Hank’s mom doesn’t come home one night, leaving Hank to care for his three-year-old sister, Boo. When it is almost a week later and mom still hasn’t come home, Hank decides to head to a Lou Ann’s house (a stranger that his mom has listed as his “emergency contact” on his school form). But with help from Lou Ann comes social workers and people asking Hank a whole lot of questions about his mom that he isn’t sure he can or wants to answer.
This is a powerful story about a kid who loves fiercely. He loves his sister and is determined to do any hard thing to keep her safe. He loves his mom, even though he knows he can’t rely on her. And he is trying to decide if he can care about all the other people that come into his life who may disappear when the social services workers figure out what to do with him. This story made me laugh and cry. It made me think and want to stand up and love all the kids who need my help. It made me want more. More of Hank. More of Boo. More of me noticing what is happening around me. And more of recognizing what good things are happening in my life. This is a powerhouse of a book. Kids who want solid characters who are facing hard things with guts and determination will want to meet Hank and read what happens.
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