SMOKE

Much has changed in 12-year-old Colton’s life. He’s moved from Idaho to California, he misses his grandfather, he rarely sees his father anymore and he has had to forge a life in a new place. He can make steps toward adjusting, however: He makes new friends, there’s a girl he likes and he still has his huge cat named Smoke. But when Smoke disappears one night, Colton is at a loss. When he goes searching for his cat, he encounters a mountain lion and holes up in a cabin, making everyone fear that he is lost too. His disappearance brings his father home and makes Colton realize how family and friends have pulled together for him. Jukes’s prose is straightforward and unadorned, with strong dialogue and an abundance of exclamation points. It’s a tender, audience-appropriate story that subtly handles themes of home, family and community. (Fiction. 8-12)