Being a huge fan of Connor’s A Home for Goddesses and Dogs and her older Crunch, I was excited to read an eARC of this one. I found the story of two neurodivergent 6th grade friends, one overly verbal and one non-speaking, to be gentle and sweet and clearly sends a message of friendship being possible with a great variety of people. There is also a message of love and acceptance by not only Aurora, but her whole town, of Frenchie who is identified as being on the spectrum. There are some concerns, however. Connor states that she consulted parents and siblings of autistic individuals but apparently did not interview any who are autistic. Also, Aurora is neurodivergent and displays characteristics that indicate that she also is autistic, on the spectrum but that is never stated definitively. Why not? I’m also puzzled at why a school who has the ability to provide an aide for Frenchie would not have adaptive technology for him to use in order to communicate more efficiently. Mixed bag feelings about this one, but for libraries seeking books promoting friendship making and needing to increase neurodiverse representation, this is a possibility.

What a beautifully written book about neurodivergent children. Aurora speaks so loud and Frenchie doesn't speak at all. The contrasts are many but the overriding theme of friendship looms large.
When Frenchie goes missing, the story takes off. So many themes are examined including exclusion and inclusion and the many differences and similarities of youngsters simultaneously. It is a book of kindness and bullying with the right qualities emerging.
I couldn't stop reading until I knew what happened to Frenchie. It combine the mystery of a disappearance with the emergence of understanding and harmony. What an important and comforting read!

I think it is wonderful to see how many new books are being published that help children and young adults to understand neurodiverse perspectives. Anybody Here Seen Frenchie? is just such a book. While Aurora freely speaks her mind, her best friend, Frenchie, doesn't speak. They fit together so well though. Aurora is outgoing and a little intense which Frenchie is autistic. Aurora and Frenchie are good friends, and Aurora has learned to really truly communicate with her autistic friend. This story introduces us to these two endearing, quite lovable characters and tells us the story that brought the whole community together to really see, and perhaps better understand, Frenchie.

As a teacher, I think this is an excellent book for the classroom. It lends itself to deeper classroom discussions or kids book clubs. I think it will really help to open the eyes of readers to varied perspectives and be a jumping off point for rich discussions about neurodiversity.

Thank you to NetGalley as well as HarperCollins Children's Books & Katherine Tegen Books for an advanced readers copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

ANYBODY HERE SEEN FRENCHIE? is one of the most magical, most enchanting & heart affirming stories I have ever read. Author Leslie Connor is masterful at creating multi-dimensional characters and compelling situations. I cried, I laughed, I cheered. Bravo.

Chatty Aurora and mute Frenchie are two unlikely friends. When Frenchie goes missing one day, the entire town comes together. This is a sweet middle grade novel with good representation of neurodivergent characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful novel about the diversity of neurodivergent kids and the strength of friendships and found families. I was eager to find out whether they would find Frenchie, but I was also enthralled by the dual perspective and by chapters from Frenchie's point of view.

Author Leslie Connor invites her readers on a journey into the minds of a young autistic boy, Frenchie, who never speaks and his best friend, Aurora, who can't help but blurt out everything she's thinking, and its a journey worth taking. Set in the Maine woods, it is a story about friendship, community and caring.

A sweet and loving depiction of friendship. Aurora and Frenchie have been friends for 3 years, ever since he moved into the house in their backyard with his mom. Frenchie, a non verbal 6th grader, and Aurora, a self proclaimed chatter box, could not be more different, but are truly the best of friends. Connor spends ample time letting the reader see Frenchie through Aurora's eyes.

As a teacher of individuals with Autism, it was very refreshing to see a story about a neuro-diverse character whose autism was not the main reason for the story. It was also wonderful that this story had no bully, no negative impact on diverse characters, and no negative language surround disabilities. It truly features Frenchie is a positive light and an equal force in the friendship.

A feel good middle grade read for all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the review copy of Anybody Here Seen Frenchie? by Leslie Connor. I was intrigued by this book after reading The Truth As Told By Mason Buttle. Though I have to say that I prefer Mason Buttle to Frenchie, I really enjoyed my time reading this book.

Aurora's best friend is Frenchie, and they make a perfect pair. Frenchie is nonverbal, but they don't have any problem communicating with each other. One day, Frenchie leaves school when Aurora's back is turned, and the whole town is on the search to find out what happened to Frenchie.

This is a beautiful exploration of friendship and the importance of community. It is heartfelt and funny. I would recommend this book whole-heartedly to my students.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of Anybody Here Seen Frenchie? by Leslie Connor.
This book is a beautiful example of friendship that goes beyond traditional standards. Aurora and Frenchie seem very different on the outside, but their friendship is heartwarming and unconditional. Leslie Connor explores the idea of redefining how we see people who are different from us and accepting people who may seem different. I look forward to sharing this book with middle-grade students!

Aurora and Frenchie are best friends. One speaks too much, the other not at all. When Frenchie ends up missing at school, Aurora is the first one to start looking.

I loved the relationship between Aurora and Frenchie and how they were able to communicate with each other. This is such a feel-good story about friendship and a sense of community! Two things that are needed in the world today!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children's Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoy Leslie Connor's writing style and Anybody Here Seen Frenchie is one of her best. I loved how this book also focused around a child and their neuro-diverse friend.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for review.

The story between Aurora and Frenchie had me hopeful. Both on the spectrum; one LOUD and the other non-verbal - they "got" each other. When Frenchie goes missing, no one tries to find him more than Aurora.

As much as I liked the beginning of the story, the rest fell flat for me. A middle grade reader might enjoy the different POVs - or like some of my readers - may get totally confused by them. I wish the POVs stayed with Aurora and Frenchie. Those were the only ones I cared about, and in reality, the only ones necessary for the story.

The book did show the "village' was raising the child, but I never connected with that village. There are certain kids I'd recommend this read, but others I know wouldn't be able to grasp the story.

While Aurora is loud and boisterous, her friend Frenchmen is completely silent. A fun, enjoyable mystery for middle schoolers that would make a good summer reading title or a read aloud book n class. A lot of discussion topics for the classroom.

Love this theme of making one for more than one kind of friendship. A quirky, character driven story that will appeal to a certain kind of student audience. It also would make a great read aloud for 4-5th grade for a lot of discussion points.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet story about differently abled kids and their relationships. I love the message of this book.

I really liked the characters and the writing was really great. The story was told in multiple perspectives and had a good flow. The thing keeping this from being a rave review is how Frenchie is represented. He's non-verbal and "talked about" rather than sharing his own story.

This is a wonderful book about seeing the special things in your world :) Frenchie is the nonverbal friend of Aurora, who is anything but nonverbal. Together they see, and show the people around them, truly special things. They have a truly wonderful friendship. Aurora is completely truthful and forthcoming, which reveals a lot about the world around her. She has spent a few years working on her ability to understand other people's thinking and point of view, and she hones it in on Frenchie. When Frenchie is lost, many people in his world realize the special things they've seen.

Anybody Here Seen Frenchie is a warm and sweet story of friendship between a hyper-talkative girl and a mute, autistic boy. Elements of friendship, loyalty, growth, compassion, and kindness fill each page. Readers will meet characters who seem familiar, yet who also encourage reflection and personal growth.