Hurricane Season

Fig and her father have been just the two of them for as long as Fig can remember. She is the only one who can take care of him properly when the storms come. Now that she is in middle school, her father’s emotional problems seem to be getting worse. He shows up one day, bursts into art class begging Fig to come with him. Fig has to deal with him in front of all her friends. Her teacher calls Child Protection and Permanency, and they start checking on Fig and her dad. When a storm comes and Fig finds her dad gone, she has to ask a new neighbor, Mark, for help. Mark rescues dad and brings him home, starting a relationship no one expects. All this while Fig is discovering who she really is.

Author Nicole Melleby has written a compelling story deftly dealing with serious and important issues of mental illness, homosexuality, bullying, and building friendships that will speak to her middle-grade audience and keep them turning pages. The writing is lovely and the characters and situations believable. This might well be used in classrooms for discussion starters about all these issues.