Summy, Barrie. The Disappearance of Emily H. New York: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2015.

Raine's story is sometimes difficult to read. Raised for most of her life by her grandmother who truly cares for her, she is now with her mom, the same mom who left her behind. She finds herself starting over again at yet another middle school as her mom runs from another failed relationship. She finds a follower in terms of previously home schooled Shirlee who is also a new kid. She finds a team, her excellence at running making her a fit in cross country. She finds a crush who already has a boyfriend. Quickly, through no real fault of their own, Shirlee and Raine find themselves the victims of cruel middle school bullying. Jennifer and her friends are relentless. In an effort to relieve the stress Raine finds herself exploring the disappearance of Emily, who lived in her house before she and her mom moved in. At the same time, she finds herself using fake texts from a mysterious high schooler to try and trick Jennifer and find a way to shift the balance of power. All of these activities turn into a very powerful adventure, that leads to intrigue and ultimately danger. Through it all she is aided by her mysterious ability to read the past through the “sparkles” that only she and her grandmother before her can see.

I am generally always stunned when I read accounts of bullying. Certainly, to be reminded of the cruelty is a positive thing for both me and my students. The hope is that, of course, through the reading of such books, we all become more accountable in demanding and creating a more positive love filled world. I was glad that, in the end, while Raine and Shirlee resort to less than savory methods to defend themselves, they ultimately take the higher road when dealing with Jennifer. Raine makes some risky decisions, and I appreciate that she deals with the consequences and has a honest conversation with her mom about it. I am glad that mom is solidly a part of the book. My students will be drawn to the well developed characters who struggle with the same sorts of problems that they do. They will appreciate the developing relationships and the honest look at the difficulties that can arise. Students are always drawn to adventure and a little bit of magic.

The magic of the sparkles is the one thing that doesn’t quite ring true for me. I guess while I understand how Raine’s reading of them moved the plot forward, I just didn’t get a clear picture of why she could do such a thing. The end seemed like maybe there might be another book about her and maybe we’ll learn some more. The good news is that my kids are certainly going to be more fascinated than bothered by them! I look forward to adding The Disappearance of Emily H. to my collection.