Tracing Stars

Gr 4–7—Set in a Maine coastal town, this offbeat summer story ably explores themes of self-discovery and friendship. Impetuous Indie Lee Chickory, whose family owns Chickory and Chips Famous Fishery, can mimic any kind of fish face, earning her the nickname "Fish freak." Her sister Bebe used to love making fish faces as well, and she and Indie would trace "their" constellation, Pisces, and make wishes. But now Bebe finds her younger sister's antics embarrassing. On the last day of fifth grade, Indie's beloved pet, a rare golden lobster named The Lobster Monty Cola, crawls into her school backpack and in the ensuing havoc escapes back to the ocean. A distraught Indie is determined to find Monty while her fashionable sister is equally determined to make over the reluctant Indie into a version of herself. Enter Owen, a bit of an outsider himself, who befriends Indie, and with his scientific brain helps to orchestrate a lobster rescue mission, including a hilarious nighttime escapade involving a borrowed golf cart. The writing, replete with sea and fish images, can be clunky, but Indie's development is moving-especially when she stands up for Owen and what she believes in after a cruel prank. The story is set against the backdrop of a summer production of The Sound of Music, and the characters, even secondary ones, and the sibling dynamics are believable.—Caroline Ward, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT