Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

That pretty much describes Michelle Cuevas in a nutshell, folks. I finished her The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole the other night, and there were tears. On the one hand, this book DOES actually talk about caring for and feeding a pet black hole; on the other hand, this book follows eleven-year-old Stella as she struggles to deal with her grief after losing her father. Throw in a hilarious five-year-old brother, a hamster named Stinky Stu, and an epic journey full of surprises, memories, and Brussels sprouts, and you have a definitely bizarre and yet somehow fully relatable look at the ways kids figure out how to handle what life throws at them–and who helps them do it. I definitely recommend this one!

In other news, my oldest turned 16 yesterday, and I’m not ready for her to be growing up like this. The stakes get scarier and the choices get more serious, and I’m terrified even though she’s an amazingly good kid. Gaahhhh!