The Messy Life of Blue

Eleven-year-old Blue has lived with her father and three brothers since her mother died several years back. When she dreams that she can’t remember her mother’s face, Blue frantically makes a list of everything she knows about her mom (“When she sang, it sounded like stars twinkling”), reads her mom’s favorite book (Charlotte’s Web), and wears her mom’s nail polish, an activity the whole family soon gets in on. Amid this work at remembering, Blue is also busy navigating her day-to-day life—feuding with nemesis Crybaby Jared, bickering with her brothers, and entering a contest to visit the set of her favorite TV show, about a girl who has also lost her mother. Newcomer Railey weaves in amusing moments— terrorizing her younger brother’s sleepover, the entire school witnessing Blue’s wearing her brother’s Superman underwear (her dad went on laundry strike)—as well as sympathetic moments resulting from these capers to make this a touching, laugh-out-loud story. Ages 8–12. [em](June) [/em]