Quack by Anna Humphrey - ESSENTIAL

Quack by Anna Humphrey, 233 pages. Albert Whitman & Company, 2020. $17

Language: PG (12 swears); Mature Content G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

10yo Shady Cook doesn’t talk at school. He is a selective mute who has anxiety so badly that he doesn’t even talk to his best friend, Pouya. Pouya is the class clown and is pretty sure the end of the world is coming. When a stray duck enters Shady’s life, it seems to calm him. Anxious to help their son, Shady’s parents get a special permit for the duck to be a comfort animal at school. Wearing diapers, Svenrietta is a hit for the underdogs (or underducks). 

Written in alternating points of view, the author, who raised a daughter with selective mutism, helps throw some much needed light on this form of social anxiety. Shady communicates to people at school through blackout poetry, which is a nice touch. The characters are likeable and relatable, and it’s refreshing to see a supportive family as Shady navigates the sometimes traumatic world of Carlson Elementary. 

Michelle in the Middle https://amzn.to/3x4x0KS