MAID FOR IT

Franny Bishop’s life is built on worrying: She worries that Mom will relapse again and that they will have to move back to Memphis, “where all the bad memories live.”

Suppressing her anxiety is 12-year-old Franny’s specialty—to combat it, she religiously crosses daily goals off in her favorite purple planner. Drawing a line through each item helps her find a sense of peace, even if that means hiding in the bathroom at lunchtime and calling to check on her mother. When she’s assigned to sit at a table in math class with popular (and mean) cheerleader Sloan and basketball player and origami enthusiast Noah, Franny is pushed further outside of her comfort bubble. And when a car accident lands her mother in the hospital, upsetting the delicate balance they have achieved, even the support of Mimi, her mother’s Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous sponsor, can’t stave off her panic attacks. Franny sees no choice but to take over one of her mother’s jobs cleaning houses, even if it means resorting to some ingenious strategies to pull off. This honest story invites readers into a realistic situation that many young people experience. It offers an accessible, welcoming, and introspective account of the struggles faced by those who worry about a loved one’s addiction. The well-developed relationships are a highlight. Noah is Black and has two moms in a community that is predominantly white and straight.

A heart-wrenching read about a girl forced to grow up too quickly.