About the Author

JENNIFER L. HOLM is the New York Times bestselling author of The Fourteenth Goldfish and three Newbery Honor Books, as well as the co-creator of the Babymouse and Squish series, which she collaborates on with her brother Matthew Holm.

Reviews

“Inspired by actual events, Holm’s talent for writing historical fiction is on full display…Interesting family and small-town dynamics further enrich this fascinating account of a young boy’s life in Florida’s ‘Recovery Key.’” —Booklist starred review 

"Filled with humor, heart, and warmth; readers can only hope to hear more about the Curry clan." —Kirkus Review starred review 

"Period details—like keeping Sears and Roebuck catalogues handy in outhouses, “marble mania,” people with leprosy hidden by their families, and the Shirley Temple craze—make for entertaining and illuminating historical fiction."—Publishers Weekly starred review

"Multifaceted supporting characters—an intrepid group of friends (all with nicknames such as Pork Chop and Too Bad), a fussy baby brother, a pushy girl nemesis, a mean grandmother, a Key West resident afflicted with leprosy—are all seen through Bean’s refreshingly honest eyes and create a novel as entertaining as the motion pictures he loves to see."—The Horn Book Magazine starred review

"Holm, who has family ties to Key West, captures this colorful slice of Depression history with her usual vivacious wit and colorful expressions..." —Shelf Awareness, starred review 

Praise for Jennifer L. Holm:

“As a storyteller, Holm is superb.”— School Library Journal

“Holm impressively wraps pathos with comedy.”— Booklist

“Anyone interested in learning to write crowd-pleasing historical fiction for elementary school readers would be wise to study Holm’s work.”— Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Sweet, funny and superb.”— Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review