ISABEL AND THE MIRACLE BABY

Eight-year-old Isabel has a new baby sister, a “miracle baby,” because her mother is a recent cancer survivor. Now she has to share her room, be extra quiet and help care for the baby. Her family has moved from a home she loved and her father now has a job that often takes him away. Troubles at school and difficulty making friends make everything even worse. Do her parents love the baby more than her? Will her mother’s cancer return? Will she ever have a best friend? She feels confused, angry, neglected and frightened. She isn’t able to voice her concerns, so she acts out and gets into a ton of trouble. Her parents aren’t perfect and all knowing; they are fumbling through all the changes also, and are not aware of how it all appears to Isabel. Although the character of Ben, who turns out to be an important catalyst in the dénouement, is vague and undeveloped, Pearce truly understands how a young child views the world and conveys Isabel’s thoughts and frustrations with compassion. A fine debut. (Fiction. 8-10)