Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse

An absorbing mystery about friendship, growth, and heroics. 

Gr 4-6--Words that describe Jesse Broadview include: dog lover, "Messy Jesse," heroine, and "on the spectrum." Her quirkiness can lead to extreme behavior from burning tank tops that are too itchy, building a secret hideout in the forest, and throwing water bottles at bullies. Jesse's life is clearly anything but typical, but when a tornado strikes her small Kentucky town and her father is accused of stealing money from the school library, Jesse faces her own apocalypse. Jesse will pave her own path as she dabbles in a first true friendship, navigates the mystery surrounding her father, and stands her ground against a fierce toronado. Vaught invites readers into Jesse's world, which is simultaneously intriguing and jumbled. The novel bounces between the missing money mystery and the action building toward the tornado, which enhances the plot's energy, but can initially cause confusion for readers. Vaught's detailed accounts of events through Jesse's perspective builds not only an understanding, but also an experience for the reader, and provides intimate insight on her neuroatypicality. VERDICT Highly recommended for school libraries as a strong addition to help diversify realistic fiction collections to include neuroatypical characters and heroines.--Mary-Brook J. Townsend, The McGillis School, Salt Lake City

In this heartfelt middle grade mystery, an autistic girl becomes an amateur detective after money is stolen from her English teacher father's desk at school and he is blamed for the theft. With the aid of her friend, new kid Springer Regal, and her faithful Pomeranian, Sam-Sam, Jesse Broadview sets out to clear her father by finding the true culprit, along the way repeatedly encountering "Jerkface and his pet cockroaches," a trio of bullies. While the investigation plays out over the course of the week preceding the narrative, a storyline set in the present focuses on the immediate aftermath of a tornado that hit their small Kentucky town, where Jesse and Sam-Sam prove useful in aiding their neighbors. Along the way, Jesse narrates her experience "on the spectrum," which manifests for her as touch sensitivity ("my new clothes don't have to be perfect. Just not itchy"), an occupation with numbers, and the occasional meltdown. Vaught (Super Max and the Mystery of Thornwood's Revenge) brings training as a neuropsychologist to this sensitively told tale, and she offers a nuanced, normalizing portrayal of Jesse's autism spectrum disorder alongside her other qualities. Between the charming protagonist, the engaging mystery, and a compelling emotional arc, the result is wholly satisfying. Ages 8-12. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. (May)