Though 11-year-old Mattie resents her family's sudden move to Philadelphia at the beginning of winter break, she enjoys spending time with her new next-door neighbor Agnes. In January, Mattie starts school and immediately makes some friends. Meanwhile Agnes, an unconventional person whose quirks and compulsions (such as walking weirdly through Home Depot to avoid touching lines on the floor) sometimes embarrass Mattie, stays home to watch over a rescued bird. Soon Mattie realizes that she's dreading her neighbor's return to school. Will her new friends reject her if they know that she hangs out with Agnes? In the first-person narrative, she dithers realistically, worrying about old friends, new friends, her first love interest, and family problems as well as her main quandary. It's a rocky road for Mattie until she finds a way to be honest with herself and her friends. Scenes with her parents and grandmother bring an intergenerational perspective to the novel. An accessible chapter book with a clear but gently delivered message.

Gr 4-6Changes are coming fast for 11-year-old Mattie. First, her family decides to move to her grandmother's town over winter break, the absolute worst time to change schools. Then Mattie's parents begin acting oddly toward each other, and her grandmother seems to be forgetting too many things. Mattie meets the formidably smart and effervescent Agnes but is afraid that associating with Agnes, who's different from other kids, will make it harder for her to fit in. Mattie becomes interested in befriending boys, too, and she guiltily shuns Agnes in order to improve her social life. This tale of tween angst is distinguished by strong writing and well-drawn characters. Mattie's thoughtful introspection adds depth; she is sympathetic and likable but not perfect. Her friendship with Agnes, whose behavior seems to suggest she is somewhere on the autism spectrum, drives much of the plot and is very well portrayed in all its difficulties and rewards. The pacing is swift, with Mattie's dilemmas rapidly becoming ever more complex. VERDICT Hand this to readers who love a good coming-of-age story and to those looking for representations of neurodiverse characters, like Rain in Ann M. Martin's Rain Reign or Willow in Holly Goldberg Sloan's Counting by 7s.Gretchen Crowley, formerly at Alexandria City Public Libraries, VA

Moving states and schools midyear has 11-year-old Mattie worried, but when she meets her outgoing and eccentric new neighbor Agnes-a girl just her age-she-s comforted to have made a fast friend. But Mattie quickly realizes that being friends with Agnes at school, where Agnes is called -freak of nature- and -kind of off,- is harder than when they-re alone in their apartment building; as Mattie makes a wider group of friends, she is tested to stay true to what she knows is right: -I like being friends with Agnes, as long as we-re at home and it-s just us.- The story is structured around Mattie-s rich relationships with her parents and her grandmother (who is dealing with old age and memory loss), as well as her own transition from her old friends in North Carolina to the social opportunities in suburban Philadelphia. In this quiet but satisfying piece of realistic fiction, Walker (Ashes to Ashes) lays down real inroads to understanding different ways of being and the challenges and worries that accompany distinct stages of life. Ages 8-12. Agent: Douglas Stewart, Sterling Lord Literistic. (June)

You make a quirky new friend whom other kids shun. How to manage this friendship and still fit in at school?That's the dilemma white 11-year-old Mattie faces when her family moves from North Carolina to suburban Philadelphia. Mattie's just settling in when she meets her white next-door neighbor and classmate, Agnes P. Davis, who's the same age, creative, fun, and dizzyingly offbeat. Other stuff's going on: Mattie's adjusting to being the new kid in the middle of the semester; Mama's job hunt isn't going well; her parents seem to be drifting apart; and her beloved grandmother must soon move into a retirement home. Mattie's first-person, present-tense narration sounds authentic and makes clear that there's more to Agnes than mere eccentricity: she's supersmart and sweet, but some behaviors suggest that she may fall on the autism spectrum, though this is never overtly stated. When Mattie meets new pals (described as racially diverse) and even a boyfriend, she denies any relationship with Agnes, viewed as beyond weird by their classmates, to avoid ostracism. This leads to guilt, much soul-searching, and, eventually, realistic personal growth and a fuller understanding of Agnes. In a satisfying if pat ending, Mattie determinedly helps her new friends—who've always acknowledged Agnes' high intelligence—recognize and warily accept their classmate's strengths, talents, and differences as assets. This honest, pleasant ode to true friendships draws readers in and offers gentle, kid-friendly guidance to maintaining relationships that matter. (Fiction. 9-12)