Maybe It’s a Sign

Thirteen-year-old Chinese American seventh grader Freya June Sun plays the viola in memory of her father, who died suddenly eight months ago. Having bonded with him over Chinese superstitions, Freya looks for signs—such as the two red birds she’s constantly seeing—whenever she doubts her desire or ability to continue playing. After being partnered with Korean American schoolmate Gus Choi, whom Freya dubs “the most annoying kid on the planet,” for a Cooking & Careers class project, Freya discovers an unexplored comfort in baking and, as she grows closer to Gus, makes a new and compassionate friend. As quiet and sensitive Freya struggles to manage increasingly frequent anxiety attacks, she also gains a deeper understanding of her newly single mother and finds an unlikely supporter and trusted confidant in her older sister. With endearing narration and quick pacing, this gentle meditation on grief and healing by Shen (The Comeback) carefully balances heavier moments of fraught emotion and high-stress situations with Freya’s sweet memories of her father and her growing appreciation for her new life without him. Includes recipes. Ages 10–14. Agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (Jan.)