Elly Swartz once again writes a great middle-grade book that will pull students into a difficult topic without being too overbearing. The story was interesting and realistic. The cover is also great because it does not look like a middle-grade book, which tends to be a harder sell to my 7th graders.

Maggie's family has decided to be temporary foster parents to babies in transition from their birth mothers to their adoptive families. Maggie is excited and a little nervous about what this means. Ever since her grandmother's dementia led to her forgetting the people and things in her life that she loved, Maggie has developed an irrational fear that she will forget things, events, and people that she loves, too. When her parents discover the stash of things she has been hoarding, the family has to figure out how to help her while Maggie works on the root of the cause. She has a lot of wonderful family and friends that will help her through this tough situation. A second plot line revolves around the all-girl trap shooting team that Maggie leads and her dad coaches. This part of the story is not as important, but still deserved a little better development. Overall, a thoughtful story with likeable characters.

I received this ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this one. With family currently fostering an infant, it hit very close to home. Temporary love seems nearly impossible, and letting go is even harder to imagine when these little people take up residence in our hearts.

I liked too how this one tackled hoarding in children, with explanation and understanding. It dealt with being a good friend and the challenge of doing the right thing when it jeopardizes a friendship.

This is my first Elly Swartz book. I'm glad to see a middle grade novel tackle this issue of anxiety in the form of child hoarding. I don't think I have heard of this topic being covered for this audience yet and I think it was done very well. I will definitely be purchasing this book for my school library!