Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better

Mylisa Larsen was born in Idaho, has lived in eight states and two countries, and currently resides in Wisconsin. She is the author of several picture books, including How to Put Your Parents to Bed, and the acclaimed middle grade novels Playing Through the Turnaround and Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better. mylisalarsen.com.

“Filled with heart, humor, and exceptional sentence-level writing, Larsen’s tale makes Quagmire Tiarello an easy character to root for.” — School Library Journal“Hilariously funny and deeply moving. Quag is one of my all-time favorite characters. An outstanding novel by an immensely talented author.” — Gennifer Choldenko, Newbery Honor author of Al Capone Does My Shirts“Filled with humor and poignant truth-telling.”  — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"[A] gorgeously written story that centers a teen yearning for stability and support." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)"[An] amazing story told with deep understanding and touched with humor. Buy it, read it, talk about it, and share the love by passing it on."  — Booklist (starred review)"The third-person narration showcases Quag’s inherent quirks and singular anxious charm. But the friends here are true ones, giving him grace and showing up when Quag finally admits that his mom needs help—and so does he. Readers will appreciate the occasional bird wisdom as well as the thoughtful and heartbreakingly realistic ways parent-child dynamics are presented without blame or judgment but rather honest considerations of needs." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)“Thought-provoking. Moving and quick-paced, this novel gives readers valuable insight into a character who normally avoids attention and thus sympathy too.” — Horn Book (starred review)