The Key to Every Thing

In this middle-grade drama, 11-year-old Tash returns home from summer camp to discover that Cap’n Jackie, the elderly next-door neighbor who’s helped raise her, has been admitted to a rehab facility following an accident. Still unsettled from a fight the two had before she left for camp, Tash can’t wait to make amends and have everything go back to normal. What will she do without her friend’s cookies, hugs, and fanciful stories? Unfortunately, Cap’n Jackie is unresponsive after undergoing hip surgery, and Tash must find a way to break through to her. She wonders if the magical key Cap’n Jackie once gave her might help. Schmatz (Lizard Radio) captures the uncertainty and turbulent emotions of a girl struggling with change and loss while examining the value of found family. Schmatz’s novel is heartfelt, but the letters and memories that depict Tash’s relationship with Cap’n Jackie fail to fully explore the true strength of their bond and its impact upon the story. Ages 8–12. [em]Agent: David Bennett, Transatlantic Literary Agency. (May) [/em]