Rodent

Gr 8 Up—Isabelle has just moved to yet another high school and hopes she can keep her head down, finish the school year, and figure out how to get away from her dysfunctional family. Her alcoholic mother keeps getting fired from one bar job and moving to a new one, taking them along in a series of unstable living situations. Her seven-year-old sister and four-year-old brother depend on Isabelle, since their mother is too drunk or hungover to care for them. And on her first day of school Isabelle punches a bully in the nose in defense of a complete stranger. Despite the hardships piled on the narrator, this is an uplifting story. Working a part-time job and caring for her family, Isabelle finds friends, academic and creative success, and romance. Much of the supporting cast, like the mean girl clique and her kindly convenience store employers, are broadly drawn, but Isabelle's internal life is clear, sharp, and urgent. There's enough drama and trauma to catch readers' interest, with a satisfyingly happy but not unrealistic ending.