Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better

Fans of Gary D. Schmidt and Rebecca Stead will cheer for Quagmire Tiarello, a boy who prides himself on not needing anything from anybody. Sure, his mom is skipping work again and showing signs of going into one of her full-out spins, but it’s nothing he can’t handle. He’s used to her up-and-down moods, even if this time it feels a little different.

Then his mom disappears, and Quag is forced to find shelter with an uncle he didn't know he had. Should he come clean about his mother’s unstable mental health? Or can he bluff long enough to find his mom and get home? With wry humor and sharp insight, Mylisa Larsen captures the distinctive outlook of a young teen rethinking his world and learning to accept help from the people who love him.