
Reach for this book when your child is grappling with the heavy responsibility of a parent's struggles, whether related to mental health or other adult burdens. Fig is an eleven year old girl who keeps her father's erratic behavior a secret to protect their life together. When she enrolls in an art class to better understand his world, the walls she has built begin to crumble. This moving story explores the fine line between loyalty and safety, offering a realistic look at bipolar disorder and the relief that comes from asking for help. It is a vital choice for middle schoolers who feel they must be the 'grown up' in their family, providing a roadmap for finding support within a community.
Depicts parental neglect and the emotional weight of living with a parent with bipolar disorder.
The book deals directly and secularly with mental illness (bipolar disorder). It depicts moments of neglect and mania without being graphic. The resolution is realistic: the father receives medical help, but the journey to stability is ongoing and hopeful rather than 'fixed.'
A 10 to 12 year old child who acts as a 'young carer' or protector for a family member.
Parents should be aware of a scene where Fig's father wanders into her school confused and disoriented. Read this with a child to discuss why Fig feels the need to hide her father's mental illness. A parent might see their child withdrawing from friends to stay home, or hear their child making excuses for a parent's missed commitments or erratic behavior.
Younger readers (9) will focus on the 'mystery' of the father's behavior and Fig's art projects. Older readers (12) will deeply resonate with the nuances of Fig's crush on the girl at the library and the complexity of parent-child role reversal.
Unlike many books where mental illness is a secondary plot point, here it is the atmosphere of the entire story, mirrored by the literal hurricane season. It also beautifully weaves a coming-out narrative into a family drama without making the identity the 'problem' to be solved. """
Fig is a sixth grader living in a beachside town with her father, a former concert pianist living with untreated bipolar disorder. During 'hurricane season,' his mania and depression become volatile. Fig hides his condition from everyone, including social services, until a public incident at her school forces a reckoning. Through an art class and the help of a kind neighbor, Fig learns that she cannot fix her father alone and that her own identity, including her growing realization that she is queer, deserves space to flourish.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
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