The Things We Miss

Stecher, Leah. The Things We Miss
May 7, 2024 by Bloomsbury Children's Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

J.P.'s father died when she was in fifth grade, and it was a difficult thing for both her and her mother to go through. Her grandfather, Pop Pop, moves in with them, and battles lung cancer for a while, but is eventually cleared after chemotherapy. As seventh grade starts, J.P. is very apprehensive. Her best friend, Kevin Takagi, is more hopeful, and ready to be his authentic self after having done an internship with his aunt, a costume designer, in Japan. J.P., however, feels that none of her clothes fit, her hair is too frizzy, and also that her mother, who does PR for an advertising firm, is always disappointed in her. The first day is disastrous, with a two small gym uniform and mean girls like Miranda who make "helpful" comments about losing weight and how the school should investigate more size inclusive uniforms. Another student, Jessi Moaziz, is nice, but is also a bigger girl, and J.P. is afraid to be friendly with her lest Miranda and her cronies make snide remarks about their "chub club". When the gym teacher, Mr. Waters, tells them that even though the Presidential Fitness Test has been discontinued, they will still be doing his own version of it, J.P. dreads school even more. Going in to the neighbor's tree house, which the college aged girls' mother painted with lifelike scenes, to take refuge, J.P. finds that when she puts her hand on the doorknob, a door opens! When she steps through it, she feels a great sense of calm, and when she reemerges, it is three days later! She tells Kevin about it, and he confirms that she was around for three days, but she has no memory of anything that happened. The two set off to investigate this, taking notes on how long she is gone, whether Kevin can travel, etc., but Kevin soon loses interest. When Pop Pop's cancers returns, and J.P.'s mother wants her to go to an Autumn Ball, J.P. reacts to these stresses by going to the treehouse and losing three days of her life. Kevin notices, and becomes distant; things are going on in his life that J.P. misses, and the two eventually fall out. Even though she knows she shouldn't, the treehouse beckons, and J.P. spends more and more time fast forwarding her life. She is looking forward to the movie premier of her and her father's favorite comic character, Admiral K, and she and Kevin (as well as Jessi) have tickets, but she is "skipping" and misses the movie. Pop Pop's cancer returns, and he goes downhill quickly. So do J.P.'s grades, and her mother is called in to school to talk about them. J.P. and her mother have a terrible fight. Will J.P. be able to learn to handle the stresses in her life without resorting to time travel?

Strengths: As Ms. Simmons (J.P.'s helpful math teacher) opines, middle school isn't really easy for anyone, but there is a lot to be learned by showing up and dealing with reality. J.P.'s discomfort with everything about herself is not unusual, and having to deal with Miranda pretending to be "helpful" is maddening; it was good to see Jessi call the girls on it, and to see that the principal took her concerns seriously and punished the girls. Kevin is a good friend, but when J.P. is not there for him during a difficult time in his life, his reaction is realistic. This serves as a good reminder to tweens that no matter how difficult our own lives are, we have to make sure we check on our friends and be aware of their needs! PopPop is a great character, and his fight with cancer is heart wrenching. The time travel is used to good effect, in a completely different way than any other middle grade book I've seen.
Weaknesses: There was a lot of discussion about Admiral K that could have been briefer. Also, I sort of hoped at the end of this that J.P. would magically go back to a time when her grandfather was well and would have learned to appreciate the moment. It would have made the book a bit more hopeful. Also, our school hasn't had gym uniforms in a good fifteen years; I'm surprised any schools do. Our students just wear whatever workout clothes they find comfortable; of course, it is often what they wear all day! 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want the mental health aspects of Baron's The Gray or Lerner's A Work in Progress, mixed with the fantasy elements of Reynold's Izzy at the End of the World or Allen's The Nightmare House. I love the idea of time travel, but never really think about going forward in time, only backwards, since I know that today is the best that life will ever get, and tomorrow will probably bring only sadness.