A Blind Guide to Stinkville

Despite a visual impairment caused by albinism, 12-year-old Alice has gotten along fine with help from her mother and her best friend. But she feels lost now that her family has moved from Seattle to Sinkville, S.C., nicknamed Stinkville due to its rotten-egg stench. Alice’s family members are too depressed, busy, and preoccupied to act as her guide, and she can’t rely on her beloved shih tzu to show her around town. Alice can go to the library, though, and it is there that she learns about an essay-writing contest. While researching her topic, “Sinkville Success Stories,” Alice is drawn into the community, making new friends (and an enemy) and learning that the town has more to offer than a bad smell. Using a lively first-person narrative, Vrabel (Pack of Dorks) presents a rare glimpse of what it is like to navigate new territory while legally blind. Alice’s road isn’t always an easy one, but her journey will be inspiring to readers, especially those who have struggled with a disability. Ages 8–12. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (Oct.)