After Hello
Alone for one day in New York City while her dad is in meetings, Sara feels dejected and abandoned. Then she chances upon Sam, whose knack for “trading up” to get what he needs enchants her and pulls her into a quest for a piece of art to satisfy the tempestuous starlet who employs Sam’s brother. Sam exchanges item for item and in doing so makes people happy, along the way introducing Sara to people unlike anyone she knows back home in Arizona. Naturally, while all of this is going on, Sara and Sam trade bits of their stories, too. The New York backdrop for Sam and Sara’s 24-hour adventure is one full of art and energy and promise. But even in a city where anything can happen, Sam and Sara can’t escape the reality of their pasts, leaving their futures—and the book’s finish—open-ended. This emotional realism grounds the fantastical day and gives heft to the story. Fans of Maureen Johnson and the Cohn-Levithan collaborations will find this vibrant story satisfying. Grades 7-10. --Heather Booth