Sixth-grader Ava Andrews is dealing with a difficult cocktail of anxiety and a heart condition called noncompaction cardiomyopathy, both of which become more challenging without the reassurance of her best friend, Zelia. After Zelia moves away, hers and Ava's friendship is put to the test. Meanwhile, Ava is also pushed to try improv, but will these new stressors push Ava beyond her limits? In this nVoices novel, Dilloway (Momotaro: Xander and the Dream Thief, 2017) crafts a narrative for fans of Wendy Mass' A Mango-Shaped Space (2003), where readers can live inside Ava's anxious thoughts and perhaps recognize themselves in her story. Paired with an activism plot and infused with plenty of creative endeavors and strong familial relationships, Five Things introduces young readers to Ava's conditions in a safe and cozy context. No doubt an excellent selection for book clubs for children, read-together picks, and for anyone who enjoys a good underdog story, this will be popular with fans of Cece Bell's El Deafo (2014) and Kayla Miller's Click (2019).

When Ava's only friend moves away, anxiety makes finding a new social circle daunting.Ava's best friend, Zelia, has always been her prop and support. It's tough being an 11-year-old with a pacemaker; the noncompaction cardiomyopathy she was born with (Ava had heart surgery when she was only 4) combines with intense anxiety to leave Ava self-loathing and socially isolated. Her dad teaches cotillion classes for sixth graders, and Ava, like her older brothers before her, is required to attend, to dance, and to make excruciating small talk. A girl in class invites her to an improv group, and Ava reluctantly agrees. To her shock, improv, which celebrates failure, is amazing for her anxiety. But the improv theater and the waterfront where it's located are under threat from pricey real estate developers. Saving the area from gentrification will require a committed activist, though, and Ava can barely speak in public. Cotillion and improv give Ava tool sets to use to live with anxiety, and the cause gives her a motivation. The conclusion is optimistically uncomplicated, but in a story that successfully explores the complexities of chronic illness mixed with mental illness, the comfort is welcome. Ava is biracial, Japanese American and white, and lives in a diverse community; the vice principal and Ava's therapist are black, and the mean real estate developer is almost stereotypically white.Opens as standard living-with-disability tale, grows into a heartwarming story about a community discovering activism. (author's note, improv games) (Fiction. 9-11)

Ava Andrews, 11, is more nervous than usual at the beginning of sixth grade: not only is middle school intimidating, but her best friend, Zelia, has just moved across the country. Zelia always stood up for Ava when the clinically anxious girl-who has a genetic heart condition and attendant pacemaker-encountered social difficulties that upped her anxiety and her heart rate. Though Ava doesn-t like to stand in front of groups, and dreads attending social events organized by her father-s Cotillion business, she discovers a supportive community when she joins an improv group predicated on a foundation of celebrating mistakes and working with what one is given. The group is soon shocked to discover that the theater in which they rehearse is in danger of being developed. They decide to fight the onset of gentrification in their San Diego neighborhood, and with the help of her improv skills, Ava finds her voice. Alongside a sensitive portrayal of Ava-s invisible disabilities, well-wrought subplots, such as problems with an unkind classmate and the growing distance between two once-close friends, support the journey of Dilloway-s (Summer of a Thousand Pies) thoughtful protagonist from timid observer to well-liked social activist. Ages 8-12. Agent: Patricia Nelson, Marsall Lyon Literary. (June)

Gr 3-6 Dilloway ( Summer of a Thousand Pies , Momotaro ) returns to middle grade with this hopeful story of invisible disabilities, friendship, and advocating for one's beliefs. Like the author, 11-year-old Ava has non-compaction cardiomyopathy and uses an ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) to help manage her condition. Ava is also quite anxious, and she's quiet around everyone but her best friend, who just moved across the country. Ava finds confidence and friendship when she begins taking improv classes, and together the group works to save a favorite locale from gentrification. Along the way, Ava discovers she's not the only one struggling with unseen hurdles, and tender moments reveal what it's like to be on both sides of assumption. Dilloway covers a lot of ground including social justice, mental health, physical ability, and prejudice, but all the while the narrative is hopeful and encouraging. Ava describes herself as having her mother's Japanese features, and a diverse cast is implied through brief descriptions. VERDICT Dilloway's latest provides a valuable perspective on living with a heart condition and anxiety as a tween; many will relate to Ava, even if their own experiences aren't an exact reflection of hers. Ideal for book clubs and discussions, this is recommended as a general purchase. Taylor Worley, Springfield P.L., OR