Ten-year-old Noonie Norton is making her way in a world that does not always understand the brilliant yet undiscovered artist she is. Her mother has died and her archaeologist father has left her with her aunt and uncle, because she would be “better off in a real home with a real family.” Noonie spends her days at school, often in the principal’s office, thinking about herself or the artists in her Masterpieces of Art book. She has her favorites, from Van Gogh to Kahlo to Basquiat, but the artist who has the most influence on her life is her deceased mother. The humorous, sketchbook-style illustrations give readers another window into Noonie’s world. She misses her father desperately, and it’s only an art contest that helps her see who her real family might be. Filled with the self-absorption and longing that is a hallmark of her age, Noonie’s rambling, heartfelt story will appeal to young artists who are, like Noonie, trying to find where they belong in their world…or just their family. (Fiction. 8-12)
