Many Points of Me

On the eve of her 12th birthday, Georgia Rosenbloom, daughter of a renowned late artist, feels out of sorts. Her art historian mother, a Columbia professor, is busy curating a retrospective of her father's work at the Met; her lifelong best friend, Theo, has been embarrassing her in front of cool new girl Harper; and she feels lingering resentment that Theo inspired her father's most famous paintings, an unfinished series of asterisms--unofficial constellations. Georgia, who still misses her dad fiercely two years after his death, struggles to navigate the tension between her father as a towering public art figure and as her dad, who "sang me 'Moonshadow' at bedtime." When she discovers a sketch that suggests that she would have been the subject of his final asterism, Georgia sets out to prove her role in her father's legacy. Debut author Gertler's tale of tween soul-searching, threaded with an intriguing art mystery, satisfies, and the sophisticated and privileged New York City art world milieu is depicted with an insider's eye for detail. Ages 8-12. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties. (Jan.)

Gr 5-8--Sixth grade for Georgia Rosenbloom means she is finally eligible for the huge NYC art competition of her dreams--but it also means friendship breakups, a deep secret, and eventual self-realization. Since her esteemed modern artist father Hank Rosenbloom died over a year ago, Georgia, who is white with dark hair, has been adrift in a cloud of melancholia. Georgia and her best friend since birth, redheaded Theo, talk, live, and create art. But after hearing the theme of the all-important competition is a self-portrait, Georgia shrinks from the monumental task and Theo. Instead, she befriends the popular trio at school and begins a secret investigation researching her father's art. As her mother is consumed with the upcoming exhibit of her late father's lifetime work at the Met, Georgia feels more lost and alone than ever. To create a self-portrait, Georgia must first learn who she is outside of art and her father's shadow. Like an impressionist painting, Gertler's novel provides splashes of color ultimately revealing the emotions, drama, and truths of tween life. Georgia's first-person, diarylike narrative provides readers with a fusion of her inner thoughts and realistic dialogue, helping to keep balance while moving the plot forward. Gertler's vivid word choice details color and the senses, creating an authentic and relatable tween girl voice tinged with the perspective of a budding artist. The inclusion of famous artists, techniques, and history throughout delivers opportunities for outside research and connections. VERDICT Recommended as a well written, cathartic narration of a young teen struggling with her father's death and finding her true self.--Mary-Brook J. Townsend, The McGillis Sch., Salt Lake City