MAPLE'S THEORY OF FUN

Sixth grade space enthusiast Maple McNutt spills all to her private journal.

Maple struggles with anxiety, but in her view it could just as likely be the rare disease ankylosing spondylitis. She takes an exacting approach to her beloved science—even getting impatient with her mother, who works in public relations for NASA, for using unserious materials like glitter in the pursuit of fun outreach to kids. Nuanced, Maple is not, but her enthusiastic descriptions, annotated doodles, and occasional obliviousness are amusing. According to her friends and family, though, Maple doesn’t understand fun. In a devastating turn of events, best friend Sunny Gwon pulls away from her, leaving her without a partner for her school’s Invention Convention. Maple therefore embarks upon a new journey of scientific problem-solving: “To become fun,” states her working theory (synthesized from 86 different websites), “one must: 1. Relax / 2. Have a sense of humor / 3. Open up / 4. Do something scary.” These steps are not easy for Maple. She’s stressed out by the presence of Juniper, her active older sister, and Jared, the boy Sunny’s getting close to. She also worries about having to speak up at school. When Maple finds a “research assistant” in new classmate Lada, who recently moved from Hungary, their budding friendship brings her much-needed perspective and comfort. The chatty tone, inviting layout, and humorous voice will draw readers in and keep them entertained. Maple reads white; Sunny is cued Korean American.

Likely to inspire fun and creativity.