First published 2017
Raymie Clarke believes winning the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition will solve her biggest problem. Her father ran off with a dental hygienist two days ago, and Raymie thinks seeing her picture in the newspaper might bring him back. She throws herself into pageant preparation, learning baton twirling and planning good deeds. But two other contestants complicate her mission. Louisiana Elefante comes from show business and faints constantly. Beverly Tapinski wants to destroy the whole contest. Raymie must navigate their interference while mastering her routine. As the girls spend time together, something unexpected happens. Their shared loneliness begins forming bonds none of them anticipated. Each girl carries her own losses and questions that seem impossible to answer. The approaching competition forces them to depend on each other in ways they never planned. What started as Raymie's desperate scheme to fix her family becomes something larger about friendship, rescue, and figuring out what really matters when everything falls apart.
Genres: family-life, friendship, coming-of-age, contemporary
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, friendship
Setting: Central Florida
Period: 21st-century
272 pages · Paperback · Walker Books Australia