Balen-s powerfully emotional debut tells the story of 10-year-old Frank and his five-year-old brother Max, who is autistic and nonverbal. Frank loves footie, codes and ciphers, and pretending to be a -wildboy- with his friends in the wilderness near his house; Max likes only four foods, hates bright colors, and will only wear one kind of T-shirt: -gray with yellow stripes.- Much of the siblings- home life is organized around Max-s needs, sometimes leaving Frank feeling ignored, but their distracted parents are quick to give Frank special attention when he needs it. Frank-s dense stream-of-consciousness narration conveys authentic emotional shifts: trying to be sensitive to his brother-s particularities, but feeling frustrated that he doesn-t have -a normal brother- and finding himself unable to stand up to the schoolmates who mock Max. After a tragedy, Frank discovers inner strength that helps him connect with Max and produce a creative way for the family to process their grief. Balen, who has worked with autistic people in various settings, sensitively depicts the experience of love, and of loving a neurodiverse family member. Ages 8-12. Agent: Catherine Drayton, InkWell Management. (Oct.)

Gr 3-7 Frank has always resented his brother Max. Max is autistic, and he gets most of his parents' attention; Frank often wakes up in the middle of the night to Max crying out, his family can never go out to eat since Max can't handle itthe list goes on. But when his mom starts having seizures, Frank's feelings ramp up. Frank believes that all the extra stress Max puts on his mom has made her sick. When tragedy strikes Frank's family, he realizes that Max didn't make his mom sick after all, and begins to truly appreciate his brother for who he is. Seamlessly told from Frank's perspective, the story drags a bit in points. While this depiction of a boy with an autistic brother is evocative, some readers may be tired of another novel that views an autistic character through the perspective of a put-upon neurotypical sibling. VERDICT Recommended for libraries with a strong interest in realistic fiction. Jill Baetiong, Bloomingdale Public Library, IL