Finding lost

Two years and four months before the start of this quiet novel by Sloan (The Elephant in the Room), middle schooler Cordy's life is irrevocably altered when her father, a commercial crab fisherman, drowns while working. Now unable to afford their cozy rental home in a small coastal Oregon town, Cordy, her younger brother Geno, and their mother move into a boathouse belonging to the wealthy family for whom Cordy's mother manages property. Simultaneously, Mom waits tables at a local seafood restaurant while forming an "escape plan" to a better life--an idea that gives Cordy, who can't imagine leaving the only home she's ever known, a stomachache. The family's adoption of a lovable stray dog with extremely bad breath, whom they name Lost, sets into motion gradual changes that result in emotional conflict for reflective, conscientious Cordy. Her father called her Daughter of the Sea, a title she questions until an awe-inspiring sight of a dolphin with albinism ignites within her a profound curiosity. Cordy's unrealized passion for the ocean as well as her open-minded ponderings about life add depth to the leisurely paced narrative, while perceptive, kindhearted adult characters ground this hopeful story in a sense of community. The protagonists read as white. Ages 9--up. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House. (Oct.)

A young girl discovers that sometimes the things we need most find us first. Middle schooler Cordy, short for Cordelia, feels as though she's carrying an invisible backpack filled with sand--the weight of grief, two years and four months after losing her fisherman father to "The Accident." Cordy desperately seeks signs of good luck while trying to hold her fractured family together. Then a hungry, foul-breathed stray follows her home to her family's rental, an old, leaky boathouse on the Oregon coast. She names the pooch Lost; the dog's dental issues introduce the family to Pakistani American Taj, a veterinarian whose kindness extends far beyond animal care. Sloan populates her story with well-realized adult characters who genuinely show up for children, among them a heavy metal--loving librarian who gifts Cordy a backpack and elderly Mrs. Crowley with her vintage Polaroid camera. The Oregon setting isn't mere backdrop; Cordy's fascination with marine life, from molting crabs to a rare pink dolphin, is woven seamlessly into her emotional journey. While there's "always a chance of rain" both literally and figuratively, Sloan's gentle wisdom shines through: "So much stuff is how you choose to see it." Young people will recognize Cordy's fierce protectiveness and her struggle with change, even if they've never experienced a life-altering loss themselves. Red-haired Cordy presents white. Heartwarming and hopeful--readers will treasure this story of family and resilience. (author's note)(Fiction. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.