by Lois Lowry
First published 2001
When Anastasia's mom leaves town, the 13-year-old's confidence in running the house soars. But her family's new chore chart can't prepare her for the chaos that erupts - a pet hamster on the loose, a disastrous dinner party, and an epic standoff with her little brother. As Anastasia scrambles to keep it all together, she learns that being "on her own" means relying on the quirky loved ones she usually takes for granted.
Genres: family-life, contemporary, adolescence
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
176 pages · Paperback · Clarion Books