Busted

An unlikely trio embark on the adventure of a lifetime in this laugh-out-loud romp by Gemeinhart (Coyote Lost and Found). Twelve-year-old Oscar has lived with his grandfather at the Sunny Days Retirement Community since Oscar’s parents’ deaths when he was an infant. When the community’s new owner raises rent prices, though, Oscar and his grandfather must find a way to make more money or risk becoming unhoused. Then foul-mouthed retiree Jimmy offers Oscar a deal: if the youth helps him to complete his bucket list, he’ll give Oscar the money he needs. Accompanied by Natasha, the 12-year-old daughter of Sunny Days’ new manager, typically responsible Oscar resolves to break the rules—just this once—and agrees, only to discover that Jimmy’s unfinished business involves causing all manner of trouble, including dining-and-dashing and participating in an underground poker game with convicted criminals. Gemeinhart’s multilayered rendering of the mostly white-cued characters’ clashing dynamics—particularly between nervous Oscar, irascible Jimmy, and brash Natasha—adds multilayered emotional depth into simultaneously heartfelt, sentimental, and chaotic plotting. Altogether, it’s a joyful tale that suggests it can be okay to bend the rules in pursuit of growth and change. Ages 8–12. Agent: Pam Pho, Steven Literary. (Oct.)