Bestselling adult author Weiner (In Her Shoes) makes a winning children's book debut with this witty story of outcasts coming together, first in a trilogy. With her outsize height and unruly mane of hair, 12-year-old Alice Mayfair doesn't fit anywhere and longs for a friend. In a parallel narrative, Millie Maximus, a small "Yare" ("what the humans call Bigfoots"), longs to sing, chafes at the Elders' strict rules of secrecy, and seeks to learn more about the No-Furs (humans). Meanwhile, Jeremy Bigelow, an ignored Bigfoot-obsessive, meets a fellow believer in a girl named Jo. These stories collide when Alice arrives at the Experimental Center for Love and Learning, a hippy-dippy boarding school housed in a former camp, where she fishes Millie from the lake and forms her first friendship. Weiner effectively raises the stakes as Jeremy and Jo escalate their investigations into Bigfoots and piece together clues to Millie's true identity. Well-drawn characters, high comedy, and an open-ended finale will leave readers eager for the next installment. Art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Author's agent: Joanna Pulcini, Joanna Pulcini Literary Management. Illustrator's agency: Agency Rush. (Sept.)

Three lives are intertwined after 12-year-old Alice's encounter with a Bigfoot, or Yare. Alice is frequently ignored by her parents and has no friends. After a terrible incident with a few of the kids from camp, she runs into the woods to her favorite tree by the lake. Meanwhile, Millie, a small Yare yearning to befriend the No-Furs, thrashes about in the water, close to drowning. Alice doesn't hesitate to save her and so begins their unlikely friendship. Unbeknownst to them, Jeremy, a young Bigfoot hunter eager to make a name for himself, is in pursuit of their trail. Weiner employs strong characterization as she introduces and describes the key players in this story. Verisimilitude is also used throughout the plot as readers get to know the Yare way of life and their interactions with the No-Furs. As the story progresses, the three main characters undergo personal growth and learn the true value of friendship. Bigfoot believers and non-believers alike will enjoy this story that focuses on the importance of friendship and acceptance amidst bullying, loneliness, and a lack of self-confidence.

Gr 4–6—Weiner's middle grade debut tells the story of Alice, a 12-year-old girl who is ostracized and bullied because of her larger size and unruly hair. Alice begins attending the rural, offbeat Experimental Center of Love and Learning—the eighth school to which her wealthy parents, who want little to do with her, have sent her—where she rescues an unusual girl named Millie from drowning in the lake. Millie is a young Yare, or what humans commonly refer to as "Bigfoot," but she is small and fascinated by human life, unlike the rest of the larger, stronger Yare in her tribe, who forbid her from interacting with "No-Furs," or humans. Alice and Millie quickly bond, but Millie is soon threatened when she is spotted by a painfully average boy named Jeremy, who hopes to carve out his own niche by discovering Bigfoot. Weiner's three young outcasts are well-developed as each seeks belonging, acceptance, and friendship. While Alice loathes her hair and size, Millie admires these attributes and insists Alice is beautiful and strong, and the novel concludes with a feeling of camaraderie and inclusivity as the teachers and students at the Experimental Center stand up for Alice and Millie. The epilogue leaves several unanswered questions, creating an opening for a sequel. VERDICT A heartwarming tale about friendship and belonging that will resonate with those young readers who have ever struggled to fit in or find their place in the world.—Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY