The story’s brisk pace and accessible vocabulary help readers quickly get to know Henri and the interesting supporting cast. 'A girl with a learning disability navigates the demands of her new school and family dynamics. If Henri Weldon has twenty-four hours in a day, and she has two siblings who dislike her four new friends, two hours of soccer practice, seven hours of classes, and three hours of homework. Henri’s tutor and new friend, Vinnie, reminds her to take it slow.

What she doesn’t expect is a family feud with her sister over her new friends, joining the girls’ soccer team, and discovering poetry. Henri’s dyscalculia, a learning disability that makes math challenging to process and understand, is what she expects to give her problems. She can’t wait for her new schedule, new friends, and new classes. Seventh grader Henrietta Weldon gets to switch schools-finally! She’ll be “mainstreaming” into public school, leaving her special education school behind. This middle grade novel is perfect for fans of From the Desk of Zoe Washington and A Good Kind of Trouble. Davis, author of Partly Cloudy and Serena Says, has written another funny, warm story featuring middle school and family life-all about the complex calculations it takes for everyone to balance the equations of their lives and what it takes to be part of a team while handling a learning disability. Davis shows us that life isn’t always clear, and that partly cloudy days still contain a bit of blue worth celebrating.īookSparks is working in conjunction with HarperCollins Children’s Books.Tanita S. But when fire threatens the community, Madalyn discovers that truly being neighborly means more than just staying on your side of the street- it means weathering tough conversations-and finding that together a family can pull through anything.Īward-winning author Tanita S. Baylor brings wild weather of its own, and Madalyn wonders just how far things will go. Papa Lobo’s long-running feud with neighbor Mrs. Madalyn discovers she’s the only Black girl in her class, and while most of her classmates are friendly, assumptions lead to some serious storms. It’s not all rainbows and sunshine, though. Moving in with her great-uncle, Papa Lobo, and switching to a new school is just the first step. Lightning couldn’t strike twice, could it? After a terrible year, Madalyn needs clear skies desperately. Perfect for fans of A Good Kind of Trouble and From the Desk of Zoe Washington. Davis comes a nuanced exploration of the microaggressions of middle school and a young Black girl named Madalyn who learns that being a good friend means dealing with the blue skies and the rain-and having the tough conversations on days that are partly cloudy.

Happy Families by Tanita S. Davis