Finding Perfect

Elly Swartz

Molly, a middle schooler with OCD, is trying to find a way to convince her mother to come home. Molly tries to maintain control however she can, but as her plan to keep her family together slowly falls apart, so does her ability to maintain a grip on her OCD. Watching her spiral into isolation and anxiety is painful, but it shows why family and friends are so important. Swartz portrays Molly’s internal struggles in a compelling and relatable way, driving the story to a satisfying conclusion. (Ages 11-13)

Counting Thyme

Melanie Conklin

Thyme’s family moves across the country to seek experimental treatment for her younger brother’s aggressive and rare form of cancer. Thyme struggles with homesickness and loneliness, but shows a strong and cheerful face to her family. Much like Finding Perfect, this book explores the impact of isolation and the effects of emotional distance within a family. The story is tender in its handling of complicated topics and emotions, especially Thyme’s desire to go home and her need to connect with her family. Those growing relationships, portrayed realistically, form the story’s emotional core. (Ages 11-13)

Ms. Bixby’s Last Day

John David Anderson

When three boys discover that their favorite teacher won’t finish the year because she has to undergo treatment for an aggressive case of cancer, they decide to give her an unforgettable day. What ensues is a wild, thoroughly boyish romp that pendulums between hilarious and deeply moving as each reveals why Ms. Bixby is so important to him. A subtle suggestion that one of the boys is gay (though the word is never used) may be a turnoff for some families. That’s too bad because it is otherwise the best kind of boy novel, full of warmth, adventure, and humor. (Ages 11-13)

Gertie’s Leap to Greatness

Kate Beasley

In this charming story, Gertie is on a mission to become the best fifth-grader in the world and prove to her mother that she shouldn’t have left. Funny even at its low points, this book takes you inside the mind of a girl seeking love and acceptance and explores how emotional wounds can come out in unexpected ways. The story reveals how Gertie’s behavior is rooted in her desire for her mother’s love, but doesn’t negate Gertie’s responsibility or descend into angst. The Ramona Quimby–esque narrator keeps the story grounded even as it deals with the subtleties of abandonment and rejection. (Ages 10-12)

Afterword

This page’s four novels were all favorites of “Rock Star Librarians” (The Wall Street Journal’s term) John Schumacher, Matthew Winner, and Colby Sharp. These librarians function as unofficial gatekeepers for libraries around America: If they like a book, it’s much more likely kids will end up reading it. I then plucked the four at random from their lists—and learned they all deal with difficult topics (mental illness, disease, family dysfunction, modern displacement) and have a similar format.

In all four the protagonists come up with a brilliant plan to fix their situations, but end up discovering that what they really need is to communicate with each other, their parents, or other trusted adults. In a word, they need community. In a culture marked by displacement and broken families, perhaps it’s no surprise that a growing number of books are trying to provide healthy ways for kids to face those realities. —R.A.