Worst-Case Collin by Rebecca Caprara - ADVISABLE

Worst-Case Collin by Rebecca Caprara, 256 pages. Charlesbridge, September 2021. $18 

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

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

 AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

12yo Collin has struggled since his mother died in an accident two years ago. Now he plans for the worst-case scenario. What if there's an avalanche? What if there's a fire? He keeps his lists in an orange notebook so he can be prepared for the worst. But what he couldn't prepare for is what was happening at home. His father has started hoarding things and the house is quickly filling up. He's stopped taking care of himself and Collin, and Collin is too embarrassed to ask anyone for help. 

Hoarding isn't a topic you see much in middle grade, and Worst-Case Collin is a great read about how it affects the child of a hoarder. Written as a novel in verse, it reads quickly but is full of emotion and tough topics. His friends were unaware of Collin's home situation (he expertly managed to keep them outside or go to their houses), but Liam's mom was a great example of a caring parent, suspecting that something was wrong but not forcing Collin, just providing a safe place and what support she could. I wasn't particularly impressed with the poetry, and I have hard time selling books in verse to my middle school patrons, but the topic was engaging, and Collin is a great character, so I will be buying Worst-Case Collin. 

Lisa Librarian