And Then Boom

Fipps, Lisa. And Then Boom. 2024. 256p. ISBN 9780593406328. 

Joe Oak's life always seems to explode at the worst possible moment. Not literally, of course, but life keeps throwing Joe curveballs, and Joe doesn't often know how to handle these. Like a superhero confronted by challenges, Joe is often knocked over, but he always falls back on his feet. Joe's mother comes and goes as she pleases, sometimes for weeks, sometimes for months or longer, so Joe has always lived with his grandmother. His mother was arrested, and grandmother, who's originally from England and who would like to go back someday, posted bail for her. But then she left again, and grandmother lost her house, throwing her and Joe out on the streets. 

Living in a car is not fun, but Joe made the most of it. Thank goodness, Joe has great friends and teachers at school who recognize his distress, and soon Joe and his grandmother have a new home in a trailer park not far from his friend Nick. Sometimes there's enough money to pay rent and buy food, but sometimes a car repair or a medical appointment means both Joe and his grandmother must do without. And then boom, Joe's grandmother dies, leaving him an orphan. Scared of the horror stories he heard about child protective services, Joe tries to survive alone with no money and no support, and he even adopts a dog and her two pups to remind him there's always hope. And just when things can't possibly get any worse, they do. Joe will have to show how resilient he really is as the challenges pile on him like blows from a supervillain.

A great middle-school story, Joe's life is hard but reflect the realities that many kids experience today. The characters are realistic, the incidents could happen to anyone, and Joe quickly learns that friends can help, if only he will let them. Fans of realistic fiction will enjoy this fast read!