The Swift Boys & Me

“All three of the Swift boys were my best friends, but Canaan was my best-best friend,” is how 12-year-old Nola Sutton describes the boys whose family lives in the other half of her duplex. Between chapters, Nola shares memories of her close friendships with Canaan, which verges on romance, as well as with brothers Brian and Kevin. After Mr. Swift walks out on the family, oldest brother Brian is overwhelmed by trying to keep things running smoothly, motormouth third-grader Kevin stops speaking entirely, and Canaan grows angry, driving a wedge between him and Nola. Meanwhile, Nola’s family is also undergoing change, and she reluctantly begins to make new friends and decides to search for Mr. Swift herself. YA author Keplinger’s (A Midsummer’s Nightmare) novel, her first for middle-graders, is driven by themes of betrayal, loss, friendship, and the need for self-reliance when friends and family fall short. The small-town Kentucky setting, unfolding events, and emotional interactions between characters young and old all play their parts in establishing the story’s solid sense of realism. Ages 8–12. Agent: Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary & Media. (June)