Frankie & Bug

It’s 1987 in Venice, Calif., and 10-year-old Beatrice “Bug” Contreras, who is of Salvadoran descent, is certain that her summer has been ruined when her older brother Danny suddenly insists on being called Daniel and needs space from Bug and their beach-going routine. Stuck at home with their downstairs landlady and their upstairs neighbor Phillip’s nephew Frankie, a white 11-year-old visiting from Ohio, Bug is at first reluctant to befriend the newcomer. But the mystery of the Midnight Marauder, a serial killer at large in their community, draws them together as they create a map to root out the murderer. Their focus shifts, however, when Phillip is physically attacked and the details of the incident don’t add up. During a summer of change and big realizations, Bug learns vital and sometimes painful lessons about the power of embracing her true self and meeting people where they are. Forman (We Are Inevitable) tenderly depicts a girl whose understanding—of identity, sexuality, and prejudice—is rapidly expanding, and whose chosen family provides a safe, loving space in which to navigate her experiences and learn to show up as an ally. Ages 8–12. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich, & Bourret. (Oct.)