Emily Barth Isler – författare

"This book is a gift to the culture." —Amy Schumer, writer, actor, and activist

After her brother''s death from a congenital heart defect, twelve-year-old Lucy is not prepared to be the new kid at school—especially in a grade full of survivors of a shooting that happened four years ago. Without the shared past that both unites and divides her classmates, Lucy feels isolated and unable to share her family''s own loss, which is profoundly different from the trauma of her peers. Lucy clings to her love of math, which provides the absolute answers she craves. But through budding friendships and an after-school mime class, Lucy discovers that while grief can take many shapes and sadness may feel infinite, love is just as powerful.

"[A] salient celebration of family, music, and neurodiversity." —starred, Publishers Weekly

"A top pick for any middle school collection; a perfect book club pick and a reminder to all that patience and understanding can change lives." —starred, School Library Journal

Twelve-year-old Rosie is a musical prodigy whose synesthesia allows her to see music in colors.

She’s never told anyone this, though. She already stands out more than enough as a musical “prodigy” who plays better than most adults. Rosie’s mom expects her to become a professional violinist. But this summer, Rosie refuses to play.

She wants to have a break. To make friends and discover new hobbies. To find out who she would be if her life didn’t revolve around the violin.

So instead of attending a prestigious summer music camp, Rosie goes with her mom to visit her grandparents. Grandma Florence’s health is failing, Grandpa Jack doesn’t talk much, and Rosie’s mom is furious with her for giving up the violin. But Rosie is determined to make the most of her “strike.” And when she meets a girl who seems distinctly familiar, she knows this summer will be unlike any other.

With help from a mysterious glitch in time—plus her grandparents, an improv group, and a new instrument—Rosie uncovers secrets that change how she sees her family, herself, and the music that’s always been part of her.