A Stitch in Time

Tautly written yet surging with emotion, this debut novel is set in 1927 Vermont, where an 11-year-old girl contends with wrenching past, present, and (she fears) future loss. After her mother died in childbirth, Donut (nicknamed for the confection that alone could lull her to sleep as a baby) was raised by her father, whose recent accidental death brings a double-edged sadness: not only does Donut miss him immensely, but without the memories he shares, “She’d lost her mother for good, now.” Her stodgy aunt’s decision that Donut move to Boston to live with her outrages the girl, who recognizes that leaving her village means “I’ll be leaving Pops, too. He’s here, everywhere.” In protest, Donut runs away to an abandoned cabin, but she sinks her father’s homemade boat midlake and inadvertently sets fire to the shack. Kalmar introduces a delightfully intricate character in Donut, whose passions include bird taxidermy, memorizing tidbits from the atlas Pops gave her, and her friendships with affectingly portrayed Vermonters. The author leaves readers knowing that her insightful, articulate, and wry heroine will land—solidly—on her feet. Ages 8–12. Agent: Susan Hawk, Upstart Crow Literary. (June)