The Echo Park Castaways

Gr 4-7–Three foster siblings come together to help their newest foster brother find his mother in this heartbreaking story. Because their foster mother is too lost in her own grief to parent, eighth-grader Nevaeh cooks, cleans, and grudgingly cares for the younger children. Eleven-year-old Vic, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), lives in his own imaginary world where he is a secret agent sent on elaborate spy missions. Eight-year-old Mara appears quiet and lost and refuses to speak English. This is the home Quentin is dropped into. Quentin has Asperger’s syndrome. He rarely speaks, and when he does, it doesn’t always make sense to the other children. Crowds and noise make him nervous, causing him to want to hit his head or curl up and rock. While Nevaeh resents having another foster sibling to take care of, Vic fixates on the one thing he understands that Quentin wants—to see his mother, who is in the hospital. Deciding it’s a mission only a secret agent can accomplish, Vic sneaks out with Quentin and Mara in tow on a journey to reunite Quentin with his mother. Realizing this could jeopardize everyone’s foster placements, Nevaeh sets out to retrieve them. What follows is an adventure that ultimately brings all four children together as true siblings. The story’s portrayal of Vic, a child with ADHD who often forgets his medication, feels authentic. The look inside Quentin’s thoughts, contrasted with how others perceive him, is an accurate portrayal of a child on the spectrum. The one thing that doesn’t make sense is Quentin’s entry into the family with no real explanation of his needs or plan to help him acclimate to his surroundings.