Better With Butter

Marvel is anxious about everything, it seems, to the point that the school is aware of her issues, and she is working with the school therapist. Marvel’s father is in the navy and usually away at sea, her mother runs a business, and Marvel’s brother, Reef, is a teenager, seemingly oblivious. When Marvel has to give a speech in front of the entire school, she freezes up and has to be carried off. On her way home, she finds a little goat, Butter, being bullied by some boys, and rescues it. It is a fainting goat, and Marvel feels a kinship. She wants to keep the goat and makes it her emotional support animal, but there are obstacles she never imagined. Still, Marvel fights for Butter, but can she win?

Victoria Piontek has written a marvelous middle-grade novel that is pitch-perfect for the age. The characters are all credible and fully realized, the writing is spectacular, the dialogue is snappy, and the story is very compelling. There are few books in the middle-grade category that address anxiety disorder. This one does it so well and will help many youngsters navigate those difficult waters. This is a winner.