Something Like Home

Something Like Home

Andrea Beatriz Arango

Random House, 2023

246 pages

Grades 4-6

Realistic Fiction/Narrative Poetry

Laura's life blew up when she called 911 to report her parent's nonresponse condition. Now they are stuck in drug rehab and she is stuck living with an aunt she never met. Laura must start a new school, where she hopes that no one finds out about her situation. Titi Silvia is not easy to live with. She is a doctor at a hospital and works unusual hours. Titi has a lot of rules and is not very huggy or seemingly happy to have her niece living with her. Where was she all of those years when Laura and her parents were struggling financially? After a bumpy start at school, Laura finally makes a friend. Benson is kind and a great listener, but he has a secret just like Laura and really could also use a friend right now. One afternoon after school Laura finds a puppy left out to die and brings him home. Puppy Sparrow changes Laura's life by giving her something to love who loves her back unconditionally. Laura gets a great idea: if she trains Sparrow to be a therapy dog they can go to the rehab center where Mami and Papi are and visit. Of course the plan does not go as planned and Laura must, with the help of an understanding therapist, learn how to forge ahead with her life as it is now.

Laura's story, told through narrative poetry, is much like the author's Newbery honor winning book this year Iveliz Explains it All in that it is written in the same format, features a Puerto Rican protagonist and has it's main character working through a big life-changing problem. Laura learns how to adjust to her new life and let go of the guilt behind that 911 call with the help of her therapist and understanding family and friends--and of course a wonderful canine companion. This is a book with a lot to say. Readers learn about the dangers of drug addiction, dysfunctional families, sickle cell, and the therapy dog certification process. Representation happens in the form of race and gender and Laura's family's heritage is an integral part of the story. I love that the author demonstrates that families come in all shapes and sizes. Having been personally touched by drug addiction in my own family, I know what it can do to the children left behind and also know that other family members can step in and create an unconventional, yet just as powerful, unit. Because of the format this book reads quickly. It is the perfect choice for kids who are always looking for suggestions after reading Out of My Mind or Front Desk. The story ends predictably neatly with a message of hope, which will satisfy the target audience.