In this compelling and heartfelt mystery story, Janae Marksâauthor of the acclaimed bestselling From the Desk of Zoe Washingtonâfollows a young girl reshaping her meaning of home. Perfect for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly and Rebecca Stead. Two starred reviews! A Project Lit Club Book Club Selection, S&L Lead Title, Banks Street Best Children's Books of the Year, and Kids' Indie Next List Pick!
âJoyful. A book that kids will love.â âRebecca Stead, Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Reach Me
Joy Taylor has always believed home is the house she lived in her entire life. But then her dad lost his job, and suddenly, home becomes a tiny apartment with thin walls, shared bedrooms, and a place for tense arguments between Mom and Dad. Hardest of all, Joy doesnât have her music to escape through anymore. Without enough funds, her dreams of becoming a great pianistâand one day, a film score composerâhave been put on hold.
A friendly new neighbor her age lets Joy in on the complexâs best-kept secret: the Hideout, a cozy refuge that only the kids know about. And itâs in this little hideaway that Joy starts exchanging secret messages with another kid in the building who also seems to be struggling, untilâabruptly, they stop writing back. What if theyâre in trouble?
Joy is determined to find out who this mystery writer is, fast, but between trying to raise funds for her music lessons, keeping on a brave face for her little sister, and worrying about her parentsâ marriage, Joy isnât sure how to keep her own head above water.
""Squeezes your heart in such a special way."" âLisa Moore RamĂ©e, author of A Good Kind of Trouble and Something to Say
âReaders will find hope in Joyâs courage, ingenuity, and fierce dedication to her friends.â âKate Messner, author of Breakout and Chirp
âA timely story about connection, loss and the spaces we need to understand one and brave the other.â âPaula Chase, author of Dough Boys and So Done