Twelve-year-old Maggie is anxious. Her beloved grandmother died recently after suffering from dementia, and Maggie's parents have begun short-term fostering of newborns. To compensate, Maggie hoards: she collects small mementos to make sure she remembers special people and events in her life. The problem is that small things quickly add up to 12 boxes, and whenever anyone comes near her things, Maggie lashes out in anger. The author of Finding Perfect (2016), which dealt with obsessive-compulsive disorder, here explores hoarding, an anxiety disorder that is sometimes considered a subtype of OCD. Supported by her understanding parents, Maggie approaches her therapy with an open mind, even though her tasks (gradually discarding items from her stash) are often difficult. Secondary plots concerning Maggie's involvement in trap shooting, and her growing friendship with Mason, a boy on her trap squad with his own family issues, are well-handled. Appended with notes from mental health experts, this is a sensitive and affirming look at a problem not often tackled in middle-grade fiction.

Gr 4-6 Twelve-year-old Maggie holds on to her memoriesliterally. She can't stop herself from taking small items as reminders of special people and events in her life: Chinese takeout containers, milk cartons, dirt cups she used for a third grade project, gum wrappers, and a little sock that belongs to Izzie, a foster baby who is staying for "a speck of time" with Maggie's family. Maggie desperately wishes her family would adopt Izzie, but there are other things she is fearful of forgetting, especially memories of her grandmother, who died and had dementia. By hiding boxes in her bedroom, Maggie is sure she will remember every treasured moment. But when her collection is threatened, Maggie's explosive anger makes it clear to her concerned parents that she needs professional help. When her parents take her to a counselor, Maggie is initially resistant, but she learns how to let go of things and trust her heart to store her memories. Maggie is also a talented trapshooter, a sport underrepresented in books for young readers. When a boy is added to Maggie's all-girls trapshooting squad, she makes a new friend who also strengthens her bonds with her teammates. Several of the novel's strongest scenes belong to the distinctive secondary characters, including Maggie's devoted grandfather and her fact-loving younger brother. VERDICT This fast-paced and dialogue-heavy story may provide comfort and support to readers who have trouble processing their own strong emotions. A welcome addition to middle grade collections. Shelley Sommer, Inly School, Scituate, MA