Chasing Stars

Here's a book that very appropriate for today, with scenes of Christmas, winter frolics outdoors, and a New Year's Eve gone badly awry. 

Gaertner, Meg. Chasing Stars

January 1, 2024 by North Star Editions

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
 

Libby and her sister Erica have always been close, spending lots of time together playing in the snow, watching movies, and putting together plays that they recorded. Now that Erica is in 9th grade and Libby is in 7th, things are changing. Erica has become more interested in hanging out with friends and is busy in school. When their parents make an announcement at dinner that their grandfather will be moving in with them because he has had memory issues, neither girl is particularly happy, but only Libby is surprised. It turns out that Erica is all set to attend a private boarding school, and will be leaving right after Christmas. For a while, though, the girls have to share a room, and it doesn't go particularly well. Things are particularly tense at Christmas, when the family tries to celebrate with their yearly traditions, but their father gets very upset when his father doesn't remember people in photos. Erica decides to go out with friends, and the holiday spirit is in short supply. Libby gets a little respite when she spends time with her best friend Oliver and his mothers, who have recently adopted a baby from Guatemala. Oliver and Libby even offer to babysit on New Year's Eve, but things don't go well, and Erica comes to the rescue. Libby is angry because Erica treats her like a baby. There is the added stress of her father being at home to care for the grandfather, and her mother having to pick up extra shifts. When Erica is packing, she keeps Libby out of the room, but when Erica is dropped off at the school, she leaves a video for her sister that explains her own complicated feelings, and helps to mend their relationship. 

Strengths: It's easy to forget how important sibling relationships are to tweens, and Libby and Erica's fights reminded me of the toxic relationship in Figure it Out, Henri Weldon by Tanita Davis. Shifting family dynamics are always difficult, and grandparents moving in can cause a lot of stress. I enjoyed her relationship with Oliver, and how he and Erica had been friends, and he was able to still talk to her a bit. The scenes with the grandfather's struggles were very realistic. This was a very short book, and would be great for reluctant readers who want family dramas. 
Weaknesses: I wish that Oliver and Libby had been competent babysitters; maybe today's 7th graders are not, but I babysat constantly at that age, with no incidents, even for a family of five with children ranging from age 2 to 10! 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked The Infinite Questions of Dottie Bing or Stark-McGinnis' The Space Between Lost and Found. I didn't realize this was available only in paperback.