The Astonishing Maybe

February 1, 2019

Gr 4-6-Gideon's life has always been uneventful and safe; he lives with his two parents, a little sister, and no adventure. He is not even allowed to cross the street on his own. That changes when Gideon's family moves from New Jersey to Nevada and he meets Roona and her mom. Roona wears a baby blanket for a cape when she wants to feel brave. Her mom Miranda bakes her emotions into delicious pies and cookies, which becomes a problem for those who enjoy her baked goods when she feels sad. Roona gets worried when Miranda stays up all night baking. The last time that happened, Miranda fell into a depression and Roona had to live with Aunt Jane until Miranda got better. That was so bad that Roona will do almost anything to keep from going back. Roona believes the only way to help her mom feel better is to convince the dad she hasn't seen since she was a baby to come home, and she needs Gideon's help to do it. The problem is, Roona doesn't know the whole story. Gideon knows they are in over their heads when they make the 60-mile trip to Las Vegas by Greyhound by themselves. At first, this is a book about friendship with a touch of magical realism. As it progresses, it becomes a deeper meditation about a parent's clinical depression from a child's point of view. VERDICT Well crafted and unique. Recommended.-Julie Overpeck, Holbrook Middle School, Lowell, NC

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2019
Grades 4-7 Middle-schooler Gideon Quinton wasn't thrilled about moving with his family across the U.S. to nowhere Nevada right at the start of summer break. When he arrives to his new neighborhood, he notices there's a girl next door about his age who wears a baby blanket as a cape, rainbow socks up to her knees, and a swimsuit over her shorts and tee to skate outside. He quickly learns this getup is Roona's alter ego's supersuit, for when she needs to be Wonder Roo, and she takes him on (un-Gideon-like) wild, hobbit-like adventures. After some troublemaking and truth-telling, he learns much more than he thinks he can handle about Roona's homelife and is stuck: Break his promise to not tell his parents what's happening or get her and her mom the help he knows they need? For the reader, especially any adult reader, this story is heartbreaking. For the young reader, it's not much easier, but Grimes offers a story that's easy to engage with, told through a kid narrator who cares and wants to do right by everyone.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2019
Gideon's unhappy that his family moved to Nevada the summer before seventh grade. He is, however, intrigued by next-door neighbor Roona, even though she sometimes wears a blanket cape and talks about magic. But Roona's life is complicated, leaving quiet, sheltered Gideon quickly out of his depth. Themes of parental mental illness and abuse are handled sensitively in this surprisingly weighty friendship story.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)