Smith, Heather. Tig. Tundra, 09/2024. 160pp. Fiction. Trade $17.99. 978-0735267497. GRADES 5–6. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
Being left behind changes you. In their four months on their own, eleven-year-old Tig, and her slightly older brother Peter, learned that when you have nothing, you know who you are. Now, at the comfortable home of Uncle Scott and his partner Manny, Tig struggles to figure out where an angry, bouncy, rude, scrappy, destructive kid fits into their happy life. Tig’s lively, quixotic nature, love of words, and lack of impulse control make for great dialog and plenty of action. Neglect, abuse, and addiction are sensitively and age-appropriately handled and woven into an entertaining and accessible narrative with wide appeal. Humor, craft projects, neighborhood friends, and a quirky list of goals inspire, while a major reveal encourages empathy and a profound respect for Tig’s creative resilience. Tig and her biological family are white; her close friends are Filipino. Review based on an ARC.
Melissa McAvoy—Retired