Sixth-grader Lucy Moon’s life begins to unravel the day her photographer mother sets off on an extended road trip. It’s already begun to fray upon her entry into middle school, where hormones—or the fear thereof—govern all the activities of students and teachers alike. Lucy, always a staunch upholder of justice, finds herself considering compromise—a distinctly worrisome turn of psychological events. With her mother gone, she finds herself without her most natural ally in her struggles—with her changing feelings and with the redoubtable Miss Wiggins, who has suddenly decided to fence off the community sledding hill. Timberlake handles her storylines gracefully, allowing Lucy’s personal and political development from a child to an adolescent to unfurl with fits and starts—that is to say, naturally. Lucy’s a winning character, whose native fierceness and sudden uncertainty will resonate with readers, as will her mounting incredulity as her mother’s trip stretches on and on through the year. As Lucy grows into her new self, redefining both friendships and her relationships with her parents, readers will see, along with Lucy, that change isn’t all bad. (Fiction. 9-13)
