Moon Pie

In a story that’s simultaneously lighthearted and unsettling, Mason (the Quigleys series) successfully depicts the tumultuous mix of love, anger, disappointment, and confusion that a parent’s alcoholism brings to a family. Keeping the focus on stalwart, responsible 11-year-old Martha, who has been taking on increasing household responsibilities since her mother’s death two years earlier, Mason eschews didacticism and melodrama, closely portraying Martha’s puzzlement about the changes in her once safe and reassuring father. Not until a new friend points out the obvious—her father is a drunk—does she understand his baffling behavior. Martha’s struggles to wean her father off alcohol, keep her grandparents from calling Social Services, and help her five-year-old brother, Tug, feel safe are credibly and movingly rendered. Secondary characters are satisfyingly drawn: always ravenous Tug; their stern but well-meaning grandparents; and, especially, Martha’s best friend, theatrical, cross-dressing Marcus. Martha’s free time is spent sewing costumes for Marcus and aiding him in his filmmaking ventures; her eventual turn to acting herself, though hinted at earlier in the book, is somewhat surprising, but makes for a rewarding finale. Ages 9–13. (Nov.)