Tune It Out by Jamie Sumner - ADVISABLE

Tune It Out by Jamie Sumner 275 pages. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2020. $18.

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

12yo Lou lives with her mom, on the road - getting by by singing on street corners or the beach, making enough coins for a bag of chips for dinner, and sleeping in the truck. Lou has a beautiful voice, and her mom has dreams of her becoming a star but, Lou hates singing in front a crowd - the people get too close, and sudden loud sounds or touch throw her into a panic. Once, a teacher mentioned Lou might benefit from testing, but her mom wouldn't here of it and pulled her out of school. But an accident (Lou was driving) sends Lou into the custody of CPS. She is sent to Nashville, to an aunt she barely remembers. Now, enrolled in a private school, her own room, a real bed - even a cell phone, Lou is seeing that those years with her mom weren't normal, but what if she's given the chance to go back? 

This look into a kid with a sensory processing disorder is presented sensitively and realistically. Her interactions with friends at school were balanced by the SPD and the fact that she hadn't attended school for a while. There are several books out just now about neuro-diverse children, Tune it Out will help readers build empathy, and let kids who have a similar life experience see themselves in this story. There's a bunch of music and theater references as well, as Lou joins the drama club.

Lisa Librarian