Chloe Through the Cracks

When the 1906 San Francisco earthquake destroys Chloe's home, the noise, crowds, and chaos push this neurodivergent girl far beyond the routines that help her feel safe. Tween readers will be inspired to embrace their authentic selves and welcome others' different ways of experiencing the world.

After a massive earthquake, Chloe Taggart is yanked out of her highly structured world of birdwatching, drawing, and homeschooling and dropped into a refugee camp that assaults her senses with noise, dirt, new experiences, and chaotic living conditions. Separated from her parents by the disaster, Chloe is faced with the seemingly impossible tasks of caring for her brother, cooking, doing laundry, and speaking up for herself and others who are underestimated.

As Chloe faces one challenge after another, she begins to recognize that her careful attention, honesty, persistence, and unique way of seeing the world are not weaknesses. Instead, they may be exactly what her community needs. Can Chloe navigate primitive tent living and be a good friend to those who need her, or will she become overwhelmed and shut down?

Part of the historical series American Stories for Gutsy Girls, Chloe Through the Cracks . . .
transports children into the past and gives them insight into the experiences of a neurodivergent child before modern psychology;encourages middle graders to be their own brand of unique and embrace their interests and individual perspectives;is perfect for fans of Ann Clare LeZotte's Show Me a Sign, Rob Harrell's Wink, and Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; andincludes black-and-white illustrations.
Enjoy this heart-engaging and eye-opening coming-of-age story that shows everyone is capable of something amazing and that persistence pays off.