Kiki and Jacques

Jacques, a middle-school student in an economically struggling Maine community, grapples with a boatload of challenges in Ross’s debut novel. When a few Somali families relocate to Jacques’s neighborhood, their presence is noticed, but not appreciated by everyone. Although Jacques was a shoe-in for soccer captain, he suddenly faces tight competition from an incredibly talented Somali boy. More stressful for Jacques, however, are a dangerous older kid threatening him and his family, and a classmate, Lucy, who gives him the silent treatment after he initiates a friendship with a Somali girl, Kiki. To top it off, Jacques’s widowed father has lost his job and is drinking, and his Grandmère’s bridal store, the family’s main source of income, faces closure. With a good heart and a powerful sense of right and wrong (Jacques tells his grandmother, “I have some babysitting money. You can have it”), Jacques is a model for readers facing their own ethical dilemmas. His friendships and social interactions ring true, but the enormity of problems he faces and the book’s picture-perfect resolutions strain credulity. Ages 8–12. Agent: Susan Cohen, Writers House. (Oct.)