Children's Literature
- Naomi Milliner
Ten-year-old Annie Richards has led a happy, carefree life…until the sudden death of her older brother, Jared. Five months later, as Jared's 12th birthday approaches, the Richards' family is coping the best they can: Annie's dad is physically present but emotionally absent; her mom has locked Jared's bedroom; and Annie has turned into a hypochondriac. Convinced the only way to be safe is "to know exactly what could get me and all the ways to stop it," Annie steals a neighbor's encyclopedic tome (The Everyday Guide to Preventing Illness), and clings to it like a life preserver. Annie's over-the-top anxieties worry her mom and alienate her friends; then Mrs.
