Roll

In a quiet first novel about friendship and change, set in Minnesota, 11-year-old Lauren “Ren” Hall adjusts to life on the outskirts of town in his grandmother’s former house, reluctantly tries to follow in his father’s footsteps as a runner, and meets a girl named Sutton who recently moved to the area from Washington, D.C. Ren is initially skeptical about Sutton’s plans to train her father’s Birmingham Roller pigeons, famed for their ability to execute aerial somersaults, but as they work together Miller explores familiar themes of shifting friendships and alliances, particularly as Ren’s longtime best friend Aiden begins to hang out with the popular athletic crowd. Ren’s acerbic sense of humor and conversational way of recounting the story to readers makes for a distinctive and memorable narrative, humorously illustrating the social dynamics he’s trying to get a handle on, including understanding Sutton’s feelings as she takes on her father’s passion after an accident left him in a wheelchair. Readers will cheer on awkward, quirky Ren as he, like the pigeons, learns to roll with it. Ages 8–12. Agent: Carrie Hannigan, Hannigan Salky Getzler. (May)