Eleven and Holding
Publisher
Harper Collins Publishing
Publication Year
2016
ISBN
9780062405470
Pages
248 pages
Genre
realism
Format
novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
Macy Hollinquest is eleven years old, and don't count on her to change that anytime soon. Her birthday is just days away, but she has no intention of turning twelve without her dad by her side. He'd promised to be there for her big day, and yet he's been gone for months -- away after his discharge from the army, doing some kind of top secret, "important work." So Macy's staying eleven, no matter what -- that is, until she meets Ginger, a nice older lady who is searching for her missing dog. Ginger's dog search is the perfect cover for Macy's attempt to locate her dad. But her hunt puts her on a path to a head-on collision with the truth, where she discovers that knowing can sometimes be a heavy burden. And that change, when finally accepted, comes with an unexpected kind of grace.
Grade Level
3-5; 6-8
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; LGBTQ (Gender and Sexuality); Military families; Gay/Lesbian; father in the military; gay adult
Main Character
girl
Race/Ethnicities
White
Family Formation
mother and father
LGBTQ+
male/male
Awards
Cybils Awards, 2016, Nominee, Middle Grade Fiction
Keywords
children of military personnel; veterans; middle school; dog; dementia
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Penney, Mary, "Eleven and Holding" (2016). Diverse Families. 1056.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1056