July 10, 2023
With sure-handed plotting and distinctive characters, this immediate-feeling novel from Sumner (The Summer of June) captures the lingering impact of substance reliance on one family. Three years after her mother’s rehab stay following a pain pill relapse, sixth-grader Franny Bishop relies on meticulously planned logistics to manage her own anxieties as well as her mom’s eating schedule. But handling what she perceives as her household responsibilities becomes more challenging when a car accident fractures her mother’s leg, resulting in necessary hospital pain management along with increased medical bills and decreased gigwork for her mother. After hiding the prescribed oxycodone tablets her mom tried to refuse (“If it comes to it, I’ll be the one to decide when and how much she gets”) and engaging in a bit of subterfuge, Franny secretly takes over her mom’s house-cleaning jobs to keep the family afloat. As Franny navigates the past traumas that led to her parentification, the aphorism-studded first-person narrative spotlights her learning to lean on others—including classmates; her mother’s sponsor, Mimi; and, eventually, her mom—in a novel about moving forward with awareness and hope. Protagonists largely cue as white. Ages 10–up. Agent: Keely Boeving, WordServe Literary.
August 1, 2023
Franny Bishop's life is built on worrying: She worries that Mom will relapse again and that they will have to move back to Memphis, "where all the bad memories live." Suppressing her anxiety is 12-year-old Franny's specialty--to combat it, she religiously crosses daily goals off in her favorite purple planner. Drawing a line through each item helps her find a sense of peace, even if that means hiding in the bathroom at lunchtime and calling to check on her mother. When she's assigned to sit at a table in math class with popular (and mean) cheerleader Sloan and basketball player and origami enthusiast Noah, Franny is pushed further outside of her comfort bubble. And when a car accident lands her mother in the hospital, upsetting the delicate balance they have achieved, even the support of Mimi, her mother's Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous sponsor, can't stave off her panic attacks. Franny sees no choice but to take over one of her mother's jobs cleaning houses, even if it means resorting to some ingenious strategies to pull off. This honest story invites readers into a realistic situation that many young people experience. It offers an accessible, welcoming, and introspective account of the struggles faced by those who worry about a loved one's addiction. The well-developed relationships are a highlight. Noah is Black and has two moms in a community that is predominantly white and straight. A heart-wrenching read about a girl forced to grow up too quickly. (Fiction. 10-14)
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January 12, 2024
Gr 5 Up-Middle schooler Franny was forced to grow up at a very young age, ever since an incident left her mom in rehab. Now Franny's mom is three years sober, and the pair live above Mimi's laundromat, where Mimi hosts a support group for those suffering from addiction. Franny spends her life worrying: about excelling in math, about avoiding mean cheerleader Sloan and basketball player Noah, and about whether her mother will relapse again. To fend off her anxiety, she spends her days meticulously planning. When an accident leaves her mother homebound, Franny adds worrying about money to the list, as hospital bills pile up. As Franny juggles school, friendships, and her anxiety, she decides to take on one of her mom's jobs cleaning houses to make ends meet. Sumner has created a story that delves into a heavy topic, but in a lighthearted way that is suitable for young readers. Franny is a sympathetic, relatable character, while beautifully crafted relationships drive the plot forward. The majority of the characters are presumed white, but Noah is Black and has two moms. VERDICT An honest portrayal of the struggles a young girl will go through for her family.-Amanda Harding
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