Place has always been key in Kimberly Willis Holt’s middle grade novels. The Hurricane Girls is no exception. The newest edition to her collection takes place in New Orleans and draws from her own experience living there during one of her father’s military assignments. Three middle school girls, who are so different that they seem unlikely friends, bond in sixth grade over a project report on Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane happened the year they were born so their research sends them to their own family stories.
In seventh grade, Greer, Joya Mia, and Kiki each have personal and family issues that threaten to drive a wedge into that friendship. Focus for each chapter rotates among the girls to such an extent that the reader gets the feel of three distinct protagonists, each one believable and relatable. They plan to compete in a triathlon to restore their friendship which is important to all three of them. Each has to put effort into specific obstacles that would keep Kiki from swimming, Joya Mia from biking, and Greer from running. Family loyalty, guilt, and body image all come in to play in ways that are common to middle graders. I will not spoil the ending, but will say it was not Cinderella but was satisfying and hopeful.
The book is available for preorder with a book birthday on August 29, appropriately on the thirteenth anniversary of the hurricane. When I saw an offer for an advance reading copy, I jumped right in since I am a KWH fan reaching back to her earliest works when Zachary Beaver came to town and when Tiger Ann lived under her Louisiana sky. Lest you think that might make me biased, The Horn Book Magazine gives The Hurricane Girls one of its infrequent starred reviews. You don’t want to miss this book even if you are no longer in middle grade.