I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I could definitely see it getting some Newbery attention. It touches topics like parental abandonment, foster care, family, friendship, etc. The characters were wonderful and you couldn't help but love Hank, Boo, and especially Ray.

This is an awesome book! My new favorite book! The author gives you all the feels for her characters. Have plenty of tissues on hand and be prepared to possibly ugly cry and sob loudly. I would recommend you first read the book yourself before reading it as a classroom read-aloud. Those feelings will pop up and get you right in the heartstrings!
A must-have for all libraries!!!

Hank Hooperman was sympathetic and empathetic. He carried so much responsibility on his shoulders and he did it proudly. I would definitely recommend this book.

I have mixed feelings here. On the one hand, Hank is a great character. He's believable and his views of himself and his situation are understandable. On the other hand, the plot is fairly predictable, following a well-trod pattern. The primary characters are strong but secondary characters are thin. A decent read and likely to encourage discussion.

This is one of the best middle grade books I’ve read this year. Choldenko’s connection to the issue of parentification made for heartfelt characters and a believable story. I appreciated that the resolution wasn’t a cookie cutter happy ending. My one criticism would be to say that, in my opinion, the cover doesn’t convey the serious subject matter inside, but gives the impression of a lighthearted comedy. It’s an engaging and emotional middle grade book, and I have already added a copy to my next library order.

This is my type of middle grade -- realistic fiction that deals with hard-hitting topics with characters you root for. I loved Hank and his little sister Boo!

This is a heart wrenching book about an 11 year old kid who has had to grow up fast and take on too much responsibility for himself, his little sister, and his home when their mother is unable to be the mother they need. Scared to make relationships in his new school because he is sure his mom will show up soon and bring them home, and scared to be separated from his little sister, Hank is written so well with all the feelings and struggles that an 11 year old would go through in these situations. Anyone who reads this book won't be able to help being more empathetic to other children whose behavior may seem difficult because you never know what they may be going through.

I received a digital ARC of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Gennifer Choldenko, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hank is only 11 years old and has to take care of his little sister when his mom doesn't come home. A week has now pasted and their mom hasn't shown up. To make matters worse, they are out of food. Hank has no other choice than calling the name on the emergency contact list. What Hank doesn't realize though is that along with the emergency contact comes a social worker and a new school. Has Hank made the worst decision of his life?

What a heart wrenching but wonderful middle grade read! Hank is an amazing big brother and is was hard not to cheer him on throughout the whole book. I will/have been recommending this book to others!

Readers will fall in love with Hank and Boo within the first few pages and will shed a few tears along the pages of this superb middle-grade read! Many tweens and teens are living the everyday struggles of Hank and his baby sister. Gennifer Choldenko has told their story - the highs, lows, and in betweens, with care, respect, and empathy. A must read for adults working with children of all ages and a great connection/awareness novel for middle-grade readers too!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

You grow increasingly protective of Hank Hooperman and his sister Boo by the end of the story. Their life is one that should never be the life of a child, at any age. It was a heartbreaking read, and even if this gives something away, I was never more relieved for the happy ending.

Comes out next Tuesday, June 11.

This book will pull at your heartstring!
Left alone to fend for himself and little sister, Hank enters a series of events in which he feels laden with guilt for presumed mistakes her makes, as he valiantly does his best to navigate the situation.
Powerful, poignant, impactful.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC for this book. What a wonderful story about a resilient young man. I couldn't put this book down because I had to find out what happened to Hank and Boo. This book features some difficult topics and it shares experiences that children could be experiencing in their lives. It could be both a window for others to see what it might be like for others as well as a mirror where their experiences are portrayed. A powerful and must read for young people!

My heart ached for Hank and his little sister Boo when Hank realized his mom wasn’t coming home and he needed help. 11 year old Hank always takes care of his sister so he got them on a bus in search of the emergency contact on his field trip permission slip. Hank’s vulnerabilities and the sprinkling of humor through the book keep us reading and hoping for that happy ending for Hank and Boo..

I loved this book so much! I appreciate how it is a male character in realistic fiction . . .. I find it difficult to find this. So sad but heartwarming at the same time. I absolutely hate the main character's mom, but found joy in all the other adults who show up as thier best selves for others.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Children's Books, and Gennifer Choldenko for the opportunity to read this e-ARC!

I knew I liked Hank Hooperman from the very first page of this book. Hank's eleven-years-old and his mom hasn't come home in a week. He's an amazing big brother to his three-year-old sister, Boo, and knows he needs to get help. He and Boo take the bus to get to a woman's house who was listed as an emergency contact on his field trip permission slip.

When he gets there, things seem to be okay. There are adults who can help Hank and look after Boo. But then he needs to go to a new school, deal with a social worker, and figure out how to keep his family together without making too many mistakes.

I was absolutely enamored by Hank's love for his little sister, his ability to connect with the people around him, and his devotion to his family. This was a gut-wrenching book. I don't remember the last time I sobbed so much while reading a book; this book will stay in my heart for a long time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars (definitely going into my classroom library)

I also really think the short chapters would help reluctant readers. Easy to build up momentum.

This book!
ALL THE FEELS!
There was hope and joy, but there was also ugly crying, fear, and worry.
There was pure love for characters and also some disappointment in circumstances and the way things sometimes are in the world.
Boo and Pooperman were characters that Choldenko made you love so much you wanted to adopt them right out of the book and bring them home to live with you. Their relationship was incredibly special, and the "Dear Reader" letter at the beginning really set the intentions right from the get go. It captured what it's like for a young kid to have more responsibility than a young kid should. Ray was another favorite character of mine. There is so much to love about this book. It falls into the category of books I call the "Huggable" ones. The ones that make you want to squeeze them tight to your chest when you close the book after reading.

Thank you for bringing this book into the world, Gennifer! It is certainly special.

This was excellent. It's quite possibly my favorite middle-grade read of 2024 thus far.

This is the kind of story that sucks you in from the very beginning. I couldn't stop thinking about Hank and his sister Boo. When Hank's mom didn't come home, he started to worry. When it had been a week, and the landlord threatened to evict them, he did the only thing he could think of - take his little sister Boo and go to the stranger their mother had listed as an emergency contact.

The relationship between Hank and Boo was very sweet; I loved all their little rituals. But the fact that such a relationship was necessary, the fact that his mother abandoned them and they had no other family, the fact that a child needed to carry so much responsibility...I spent much of the book livid.

I love a hard-hitting middle-grade story. There is a kid out there who needs this book. It was engaging, and it made me feel so many things. It made me yell, cry (both sad and happy tears), and laugh.

All we can do is the best we can with what we have at the time. And that is exactly what Hank does. When his mother disappears for a week, he takes his three year old sister to the only place he can think of, his grandmother's best friend who his mother listed as an emergency contact on a field trip form. Hank is torn in every situation -- what is right for Boo? For him? Hank tries so hard and his heart is in the right place. This book is a must read. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

Hank Hooperman has such an incredible story and author Gennifer Choldenko immediately hooks you with this compelling story from chapter one. The reader meets Hank on day 7 of him wondering where his mom is. She’s disappeared before, but not for this long and now they are out of options. They need to find help somewhere, so off Hank and his 3-year-old sister go. Their journey together is one of such hope, but also constant struggle and sadness. Hank is always worried about making mistakes, but some mistakes are worse than others. Hank rates his mistakes on a scale of 1-10 and maybe this will cause readers to reflect on their own mistakes as they read this. I hope that my kids reading it would see that some mistakes are not such a big deal in the grand scheme of things. One valuable lesson from Hank is what is most important in life and what is worth taking risks for. If you want a book with all the feels, then this book is for you.

Tears are running down my face as I finish this book. Both because of how beautiful and sad and perfect and needed it is, but also because I finished it and will miss Hank and Boo and Ray and Lou Ann and even Geri in all her brokenness. Just wow. The characters, the plot, the pacing, everything about this book is admirable.