About This Book
Reach for this book when your child feels like an outsider in their own family or is struggling to process the eccentricities and eventual loss of a beloved grandparent. It follows Mona Lisa Figg, a sensible girl in a family of flamboyant former vaudevillians, as she navigates the whimsical town of Pineapple and her deep connection with her Uncle Florence. This Newbery Honor book explores the ache of grief and the search for a personal paradise through a surreal, puzzle-like lens. It is ideally suited for children ages 9 to 12 who enjoy sophisticated humor and are ready to explore the complex, often messy reality of loving people who are fundamentally different from themselves. Parents will appreciate how it validates the 'quiet' child and provides a safe, slightly abstract space to discuss the finality of death.
