BIG WINNER

After moving to a new town, 14-year-old Skye Richardson wallows in self-pity until she is befriended by Digby Jones, an intellectually challenged co-worker.

Relocating from Calgary to Nova Scotia, where her mother grew up, means leaving behind her friends, her babysitting job, and her older brother. Frustrated, Skye self-sabotages, thwarting possible new relationships at school and spending hours doing homework she “never planned to hand in” in a cafe that feels more welcoming than her new house. Cafe co-owner Cheryl hires Skye to work part time after school—on Digby’s recommendation. Skye jumps at the opportunity to make some money, having used her babysitting earnings to buy an all-black wardrobe and dye her hair black with blue tips. When Digby asks Skye to keep his secret of having won a million-dollar lottery—and later asks for help figuring out how to divide up the money to donate to others—she is drawn into Digby’s life story and moved by his generous heart. Skye also helps Digby navigate the unsettling territory that accompanies leaks about winning lottery tickets. The writing is accessible and at times humorous. Readers will be engaged by plot twists and by Skye’s personal growth. The text makes clear that Digby is developmentally disabled, though no labels are used. Characters are assumed White.

Enjoyable and heartwarming.