Please enable JavaScript
All That's Missing | LitPick Book Reviews
All That's Missing
All That's Missing
All That's Missing
Sarah Sullivan
When his grandfather’s dementia raises the specter of foster care, Arlo flees to find his only other family member in this genuine, heartening novel.Arlo’s grandfather travels in time. Not literally — he just mixes up the past with the present. Arlo holds on as best he can, fixing himself cornflakes for dinner and paying back the owner of the corner store for the sausages Poppo eats without remembering to pay. But how long before someone finds out that Arlo is taking care of the grandfather he lives with instead of the other way around? When Poppo lands in the hospital and a social worker comes to take charge, Arlo’s fear of foster care sends him alone across three hundred miles. Armed with a name and a town, Arlo finds his only other family member — the grandmother he doesn’t remember ever meeting. But just finding her isn’t enough to make them a family. Unfailingly honest and touched with a dash of magical realism, Sarah Sullivan’s evocative debut novel delves into a family mystery and unearths universal truths about home, trust, friendship, and strength — all the things a boy needs.

Book Details

Genre: 

  • Fiction
  • Juvenile Fiction

Age Level: 

  • 8 - 12
Profile Picture

This book follows a boy named Arlo and his experiences. The tragedy of his parents' death years before, the heartbreak of his grandfather's ailing state and failing memory, and the courage it takes Arlo to seek out his grandmother and break family barriers that were forged long ago. It's a story of one boy coming forward to help heal, be healed, and suffering through the trials that courage brings.

To add your comments, login above or request a LitPick membership.
RECENT BOOK REVIEWS