SIR FIG NEWTON AND THE SCIENCE OF PERSISTENCE

A precocious 12-year-old spends the summer trying to save her furry companion.

Mira “Miranium” Williams, future astronaut and astrophysicist, already felt like her family was living on the edge of a black hole after her father became unemployed, causing her mom to spend less time doing community theater and more time at her accountant job. Worse, her best friend, Thomas, moved from Orlando to Washington, D.C., and her nemesis, Tamika, has moved into his old house. Luckily, she still has Sir Fig Newton, her best feline friend. Concerned that Fig has become lethargic, is eating less, and has sweet-smelling breath, Mira researches and concludes that he has diabetes, known as the silent cat killer. Unfortunately, they can’t afford to treat Fig, and the only way to avoid her parents’ plan to give him up for adoption is to raise $2,000 for treatments within a month. With help from an unlikely source, Mira finds a way to save her cat and keep everyone’s spirits up. Thomas’ debut will pull at readers’ heartstrings. Mira displays tremendous spirit as she continually advocates for her beloved cat. As well as being heartwarming, this well-paced novel also contains numerous interesting facts about famous scientists that will make readers just as excited about science as Mira. Mira is biracial, with a Black father and White mother; Thomas is White, and Tamika is Black.

A noteworthy debut.