  | Every missing piece Author: Conklin, Melanie | |
| Price: $22.38 | ||
Summary:
Ever since her father died in a terrible accident, Maddy Gaines has worried a lot. She calls the police so often that she's on a first-name basis with the Sheriff. When a new boy moves to town, Maddy is convinced that he's not who he says he is--he's a boy who went missing six months ago. Maddy, her dog, her best friend, and her stepdad team up to see what he's hiding.
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| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 4.70 Points: 8.0 Quiz: 511894 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (03/01/20)
School Library Journal (00/05/20)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/05/20)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 05/01/2020 Ever since her father died in a tragic accident, 12-year-old Maddy Gaines sees danger around every corner. Trying to be normal becomes a lot harder for her when a new boy at school looks just like Billy Holcomb, a missing child who was featured on every local news station just six months before. What’s worse, she can’t tell the police or the adults in her life (her mom and stepfather) anything for fear of getting in trouble and making others worry. Relying on her best friend, Cress, to help, Maddy delves into the mystery of the new kid and why he looks so much like Billy. Every Missing Piece touches on several serious topics (grief, mental illness, changing family/friendships, and domestic abuse) through the lens of a child, but despite the seriousness of the subject matter, Conklin’s (Counting Thyme, 2016) strength as a writer keeps this story hopeful, even lighthearted and funny at times. Readers who enjoyed The Thing about Jellyfish (2015) will find this enjoyable too. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 05/01/2020 Gr 5–7—Sixth grader Maddy Gaines wants her old life back: before her father died, before her anxiety caused her to keep a rescue ladder under her bedroom window, and before her best friend, Cress, became interested in boys and skin care. But as Cress tells Maddy, "You have to get used to it." As Maddy navigates a relationship with Stan, her mother's new husband, and the changing dynamics of her friendship with Cress, she is also confronted with a mystery. Walking in the neighborhood graveyard one day, Maddy meets Eric, a boy who reminds her of Billy Holcomb who has been missing for six months. Maddy wants to share her discovery with her mom, but after so many false alarms fueled by her anxiety, she decides to say nothing. As she gathers evidence to support her conviction that Eric is actually Billy, Maddy has the opportunity to reconsider assumptions she's made about her friends and Stan. She slowly begins to connect with Stan and appreciate that he is making a genuine effort to be a part of Maddy's life. When she learns the true story of what happened to Billy and his mother, Maddy is also forced to understand some hard truths about the realities of the emotional and physical effects of domestic violence. VERDICT In this heartfelt story about a family struggling through adjustments big and small, Maddy's efforts to make sense of the changes in her life will inspire young readers.—Shelley Sommer, Inly School, Scituate, MA - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
