Eleven year old Tig and her brother Peter move in with their Uncle Scott and his partner Manny after being abandoned by their alcoholic mother.

I read this book with my ten year old son: he likes realistic fiction and characters he can identify with. While I hope he never has to experience the kind of trauma the title character faced, he can definitely understand having emotions that are too big for him to process alone, and I suspect they are not alone in that. Many kids will be able to understand what this feels like, and that’s why this book is great for helping children develop empathy.

I love Uncle Scott and Manny so much. They are the emotionally mature and stable parents that Tig needed in so many ways. They are thrown into the situation of having to take in the children with no time to prepare, and yet they rise to the occasion in 1000 little ways. Tig resists their attempts to make her feel loved in the beginning, but I love their patience and subtle perseverance with her. Scott and Manny are role models for the rest of us- parents just trying to do the best we can.

This story is written so well, and my son and I adored it. It was emotional and sweet, and while he can be a tough critic, he really got into it. It led to some very good conversations between us. We will be sure to recommend it!