Audrey Covington Breaks the Rules

In Burbank, Calif., rising seventh grader Audrey Covington faces a whole summer without longtime best friends Sadia and Tamzin, on whom she’s counting to help her navigate junior high. Devastated when they disinvite her from their annual end-of-the-year sleepover by text, citing her protective parents’ strict guidelines, she finds her mother unwilling to make any changes. A chance to break some rules presents itself after Audrey’s parents move her maternal grandmother—beloved former Hollywood star Nana Rhea, who’s been facing paparazzi at her Hollywood home—to a retirement community. Nana Rhea, not truly ready for the adjustment, makes a break for it with Audrey in the car, and the two strike a deal that meets both their needs: one night on the town for Nana Rhea to visit old memories and for Audrey to explore her wild side. With Audrey’s parents—and Nana Rhea’s fans—hot on their tail, they get Audrey’s ears pierced at a tattoo parlor, sneak into a Hollywood studio wardrobe to borrow glamorous attire, and crash an exclusive pool party. Tracing the duo’s big night out with considerable verve, Evans (Grow Up, Tahlia Wilkins!) mixes a glamorous setting and quirky characters with deeper themes about growing up, as Audrey learns about her mother’s struggles with Nana Rhea and the idea that adults face transitional change, too. Characters default to white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jessica Mileo, InkWell Management. (Apr.)