After Pippa and Jack's mom dies, their dad is overcome with despair. Pippa and Jack, meanwhile, struggle in their own ways: Pippa stops talking, and Jack avoids all his friends. The sadness enveloping their family is bad enough, but when their dad's used-car lot is repossessed and the electricity and water are shut off at their house, his desperation leads him to make a terrible decision: he robs a bank. Jack remembers his mother's wish that he do all he can to help his dad, but robbery is a step too far. With the help of their kind neighbor, Nibs, and the friends who have always cared for them, Jack and Pippa gradually find the strength to help their father and each other. Though Jack's and Pippa's alternating first-person narratives occasionally sound the same, the story is movingly bolstered by well-crafted subplots, such as a missing great white heron, and vivid, meaningful backstories for secondary characters woven throughout. This fast-paced, heartfelt novel emphasizes the importance of community in moments of crisis.

What wouldn't a desperate man do to help his children? What wouldn't desperate kids do to save their dad and themselves?White siblings Jack, 12, and Pippa, 10, are drowning in grief after their adored mother's recent death. They reveal themselves in alternating first-person, present-tense chapters filled with keenly self-aware yet realistic-sounding observations not entirely devoid of humor. Jack's crushing pain often manifests itself in angry confusion and isolation; Pippa covers her despair with elective mutism. As if bereavement weren't awful enough, they soon learn that their financially strapped father has lost his business; there's no money for necessities and the mortgage on their lakefront house. Then comes another tremendous blow. Out of funds, credit, and options, Dad robs a bank while Jack waits, horrified, outside. In time Pippa pieces clues together and realizes what happened. In empowering Jack to prevent their father from committing another crime she discovers the strength finally to speak out; appalled and contrite, Dad surrenders and is imprisoned. This well-written novel isn't unremittingly cheerless. A sense of hope springs from two other well-realized characters—a white, teenage, new neighbor who's Jack's crush; and a kindly, white family friend and confidante. Each in her own way helps the children slowly emerge from darkness and allow their inner resilience to blossom. The novel's ending is most satisfying and touching. A heartbreaking, uplifting ode to staying true to family even in the worst of times. (Fiction. 10-14)

Galante-s deeply empathic novel-told in alternating chapters by 10-year-old Pippa and her 12-year-old brother, Jack-explores sibling bonds, parental fallibility, and coping with death. After Pippa and Jack-s mother dies from cancer, their father loses control of his work, their home, and their family life, though he does a good job of loving his children while faking competence. Jack and Pippa, who hasn-t spoken since her mother-s death, both demonstrate resilience as they slowly realize that, as much as their father loves them, they can no longer count on him to be a reliable caregiver. When he takes extreme measures to secure their financial stability (and involves Jack), the children finally understand the precariousness of their situation; though the father-s desperate act seems improbable, Galante (The World from up Here) renders it entirely believable. Narrated in first-person present tense, the story has immediacy and strong momentum, both in terms of plot and emotional development. Supportive secondary characters with strong backstories are fully dimensional, and the setting-modest homes on a lake in Vermont-comes wholly to life. Ages 8-12. Agent: Stacey Glick, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (June)

Gr 5-8Pippa's words have been stuck deep inside her since her mother's death four months ago; she hasn't spoken since. With fall arriving, her mother's isn't the only absence felt; Mr. Thurber, the wild heron they rescued, hasn't been seen lately, causing Pippa to wonder about his return and severing yet another tie to her mom. Her father is consumed by his job, leaving her in the care of her older brother, Jack. Though their father has the best of intentions, his absentmindedness with the family finances leads to mounting debt and poor choices. After squandering the family's savings and losing his livelihood and quite possibly the house, their father comes up with a fairly simple solutionwear Jack's old superhero masks into the bank to rob it. While family is indeed everything, is it worth doing something so morally wrong? It is only through her friendship with caring individuals and her realization of the gravity of her father's choices and their consequences that Pippa is able to find her words again. Told in alternating chapters between siblings, this is a poignant tale of grief, healing, friendship, and personal endurance. While portraying quite possibly one of the most irresponsible and misguided fathers in children's fiction, Galante crafts a story void of any dialogue from one of her protagonists until well into book's end, an impressive feat. VERDICT A viable choice for collections needing new realistic fiction or sibling stories.Rebecca Gueorguiev, New York Public Library