Pinkie’s Turnabout

Drawing on personal experience, per an endnote, Lloyd-Davies confronts the hardships of caring for a loved one with dementia in this brutally tender debut. Eleven-year-old Pinkie is triply heartbroken: bully Leo keeps calling her “hairball, his favorite nickname for me,” her best friend is away at a no-technology summer camp, and her beloved great-grandmother is becoming increasingly confused as her Alzheimer’s worsens. When a black cat barges into Pinkie’s life, she is certain that the new arrival is just what feline-loving Great Gran needs (“Cats can have a positive impact on mental health”)—and then the cat introduces himself as Jack. But money is tight, and the feline’s unusually strong bond with GG isn’t enough to secure his place in the household. Pinkie is certain that the tips she earns while volunteering at an animal shelter will help alleviate financial strain, but her excitement about the experience sours when she realizes that Leo works there as well. Late-game revelations about her nemesis—and support from Jack and GG—prompt Pinkie to reconsider forgiveness and acceptance. It’s a surprise-packed narrative that counterbalances nuanced examinations of complicated relationships and hard-earned life lessons against Jack’s delightfully snarky quips. The cast cues as white. Ages 9–12. (Feb.)