Book review - Anybody Here Seen Frenchie?

 

Title: Anybody Here Seen Frenchie?

Author: Leslie Connor

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Down to Earth by Betty Culley

                      Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord

Rating: 

 

lovely and charming

 

Summary (provided by publisher): Eleven-year-old Aurora Petrequin’s best friend has never spoken a word to her. In fact, Frenchie Livernois doesn’t talk.
Aurora is bouncy, loud and impulsive—“a big old blurter.” Making friends has never come easily. When Frenchie, who is autistic, silently chose Aurora as his person back in third grade, she chose him back. They make a good team, sharing their love of the natural world in coastal Maine.
In the woods, Aurora and Frenchie encounter a piebald deer, a rare creature with a coat like a patchwork quilt. Whenever it appears, Aurora feels compelled to follow.

At school, Aurora looks out for Frenchie, who has been her classmate until this year. One morning, Frenchie doesn’t make it to his classroom. Aurora feels she’s to blame. The entire town begins to search, and everyone wonders: how is it possible that nobody has seen Frenchie?
At the heart of this story is the friendship between hyper-talkative Aurora and nonvocal Frenchie. Conflict arises when Aurora is better able to expand her social abilities and finds new friends. When Frenchie goes missing, Aurora must figure out how to use her voice to help find him, and lift him up when he is found.

My opinion: Occasionally you read a book with a character that captures your attention almost right away. Aurora was that character for me. She is herself unapologetically. She recognizes that her energy and "blurting" habit make it hard for her to fit in with her peers but she's accepted these elements of herself. She tries to be more thoughtful but also doesn't want to change her essential nature. And she's imperfect. She makes decisions that the reader know she will come to regret. But when she makes mistakes she owns up to it and does her best to make it right. This book is more than the relationship between Aurora and Frenchie, though. Searching for Frenchie reveals the connections between the town's inhabitants. They come together for one of their own, even a kid who might be considered a natural outsider. Each scene helps people to notice things that help them appreciate each other more. A joy to read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley