A very relatable story about a middle school aged girl trying to figure out how to manage the big changes in her life. She's grieving her grandma but is also worried about her social standing with her friends and at school. I very much enjoyed Phoebe, and she perfectly illustrated how confusing life and emotions are, especially when you are a young teen. The story had a lot of layers to it; it's funny, it's sad, it's mysterious, and dynamic.

A great and quick read. I will definitely be suggesting it to my local and school library.

Thank you to Annick Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Phoebe is dealing with a lot: Grandma Yumi died, she has to redo an art assignment over the summer, and Grandma left a note to Phoebe to find a song she wrote for her. Phoebe decides to call Grandpa whom no one has seen in many years since he left Grandma. When he shows up the family is shocked, but he helps the family pack up boxes at Grandma’s house while they all look for the song. They can’t find the song, and Phoebe still hasn’t finished her assignment because she doesn’t care. Things get heated, Grandpa leaves, and then Phoebe finds the lost song but it’s missing the last line. She wants to find Grandpa to show him the song before he leaves the airport. Will the family get there in time? What happens to the song and her assignment?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of the book. All opinions are my own.

Middle grade realistic fiction is full of protagonists who are dealing with challenging family and friendship situations. Phoebe Ogawa and the Art of Not Caring stands out due to the protagonist's unique, quirky voice. Twelve-year-old Phoebe is having a rough summer. Still smarting from an embarrassing moment at her school's talent show, she's also grieving the loss of her grandmother and struggling to make up an art assignment she failed. When she learns her grandmother--a famous pop star--left her an unfinished song, she vows to find it and pass it off as her own for the assignment. But the search for the song introduces other complications into Phoebe's life, like the reappearance of her estranged grandfather and trouble with her best (and only) friend. From the moment Phoebe casually mentions she bit her sister during their grandmother's funeral, I was sold. Phoebe's witty, sometimes sarcastic first-person narration is relatable and keeps the story moving. I'll recommend this one to my students who love realistic fiction, particularly those who liked Kate Messner's The Trouble With Heroes, as it deals with similar topics: loss, vulnerability, and the realization you can't cheat your way out of an assignment.