
Reach for this book when your child is struggling to navigate a change in a core relationship or feels that their brain works differently than their peers. Emilia Torres is a young girl with ADHD who is eagerly awaiting her father's return from military deployment, only to find that the man who comes home is quiet, distant, and struggling with his own internal battles. This story beautifully explores the intersection of neurodiversity and family trauma, showing how creative expression and patience can bridge emotional gaps. It is a poignant, realistic look at a middle schooler finding her voice while balancing school projects, social justice issues in her community, and a shifting family dynamic. Parents will appreciate the honest portrayal of mental health and the validation of a child's unique way of processing the world.
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Sign in to write a reviewSubtle community tensions regarding school redistricting and socioeconomic divides.
Some scenes involving welding and shop tools, handled with safety in mind.
The book handles ADHD and PTSD with direct, secular realism. There is no magical cure for the father's trauma or Emilia's neurodivergence. Instead, the resolution is hopeful and grounded in therapeutic progress and mutual understanding.
A 10 to 12 year old who feels 'too much' or 'not enough,' particularly those in military families or those who use art and making as a way to communicate when words fail.
Parents should be prepared to discuss PTSD and the fact that adult characters can be imperfect and overwhelmed. Reading the scenes where Emilia feels misunderstood by her father can be emotionally heavy. A parent might see their child withdrawing after a major family transition or expressing deep frustration that they can't 'just focus' like other students.
Younger readers will focus on the cool factor of welding and the school drama. Older readers will pick up on the subtle tensions of the community redistricting and the complexity of the father's mental health.
Unlike many books that treat ADHD as a punchline or a simple hurdle, Cartaya treats it as a fundamental part of Emilia's identity that informs her creativity and her sense of justice.
Emilia Torres navigates life with ADHD while her father returns from overseas deployment. Expecting a joyful reunion, she instead finds a father who is withdrawn and struggling with PTSD. To connect with him, she focuses on a school project about local history and works in her grandfather's shop, using welding as a metaphor for fusing broken pieces together. Simultaneously, she deals with social shifts in her classroom as a redistricting plan threatens to divide her community.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.