For the Record

March 1, 2022

Gr 5-7-Family dynamics are central to the story of 12-year-old Justine and her four-year-old sister Bea as they go back and forth between the homes of their divorced parents in Montreal. At their mother's condo, things are strict and controlled because of mom's anxiety. At their dad's house the rules are more relaxed, but Justine's mom thinks her dad and older half-sister Mariella are a bad influence on the girls. Justine begins gathering evidence about her dad's neglect so that her mom can get sole custody, thinking it will help her mother feel better, and stop her migraines and all of the yelling directed at her. Her detailed notes go from things like her dad not sticking to the strict bedtime and serving sandwiches on white bread, to crafting a lie about physical abuse to help her mother's court case. As lawyers get involved and the case moves forward, Justine begins to question her mom's behavior and whether she should be helping her. Characters are cued as white; Justine's father is of French descent and there are a few words regional to Canadian dialect that might be unclear for American readers. The author thoughtfully and honestly explores the realities of divorce, anxiety, and how kids are impacted by parental behavior. Justine's voice will grab readers as she navigates changing family situations and the importance of sharing the truth. VERDICT Purchase for collections where family stories are popular. Children with divorced parents will see themselves reflected in Justine's nuanced story.-Sarah Polace

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February 15, 2022
A distraught 12-year-old makes iffy choices in the midst of an ugly custody battle. Justine's emotional turmoil is understandable as she and her little sister, Bea, shuttle between their fun-loving but careless, twice-divorced dad and hyperanxious, controlling, neat freak mom. It's the latter's continual codependent demands that lead Justine to think that she has to choose between the two. She makes lists of her dad's supposed parenting failures in a notebook to pass on to her mother--and finally, when he barely prevents Bea from running out into traffic by grabbing her hard enough to leave bruises, lies about the circumstances, dubbing it a violent incident. That earns a date in family court, which leads to a confession and, if not a tidy resolution, at least a reasonable compromise. Polak offers carefully nonjudgmental portraits of both parents as flawed in different ways (and profoundly incompatible) but loving; neither is the unalloyed bad or good guy. That leaves room to focus on Justine's emotional landscape, and it's charting her dawning realization that it's not her job to be the grown-up that will give this particular value for readers caught in similar breakups. The author includes a perspicacious child lawyer and equally canny judge (both of whom understand exactly what's going on and properly prioritize the needs of the children) in her evidently all-White cast. She also closes with resources for both children and adults about parental alienation syndrome. Sad--but frank, supportive, and properly free of easy answers. (Fiction. 9-13)

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March 15, 2022
Grades 4-6 A desperate 12-year-old takes sides in her parents' messy divorce in this complicated and emotionally informative middle-grade novel. Shuttled between two homes, Justine keeps a secret notebook in which she tracks "all the stuff Dad does wrong--or when he's negligent," ammunition for her bitter mother's custody battle. Justine, fearing the return of her mom's gripping anxiety, lies about a harrowing incident at her dad's, which accelerates a court date. As Justine's pride about her notebook of transgressions morphs into keen discomfort, a lawyer and a judge help Justine see her mother's manipulation for the cruelty it is. No stranger to tackling tough topics, Polak (Planet Grief, 2018) spells out Justine's emotional journey, which will also resonate with readers sensitive to the weighty subject of parental alienation, expounded on in an author's note and resources. Short chapters and a contemplative first-person narration drive the story's pacing, and a supportive network of friends and relatives offers constant reassurances. A solid addition to upper-elementary collections and an especially good selection for children navigating family dissolutions.

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