LIFE IN THE BALANCE by Jen Petro-Roy

I last interviewed Jen Petro-Roy about her book P.S. I MISS YOU, a book that brilliantly demonstrated the benefits of authenticity. Her new Middle Grade novel, LIFE IN THE BALANCE, expands on this premise by also showing the importance of finding purpose:

Veronica Conway has been looking forward to trying out for the All-Star softball team for years. She’s practically been playing the game since she was a baby. She should have this tryout on lock.

Except right before tryouts, Veronica’s mom announces that she’s entering rehab for alcoholism, and her dad tells her that they may not be able to afford the fees needed to be on the team.

Veronica decides to enter the town talent show in an effort to make her own money, but along the way discovers a new hobby that leads her to doubt her feelings for the game she thought she loved so much.

Is her mom the only one learning balance, or can Veronica find a way to discover what she really wants to do with her life?

What to Read After You’ve Finished Life in the Balance: by Jen Petro-Roy

In Life in the Balance, Veronica is dealing with a lot. To be honest, most kids these days—most of the kids who will be reading this book—are also dealing with a lot. Between the mental repercussions of the pandemic, keeping up with their schoolwork, and balancing friends, family, and outside interests, life can be a lot.

Luckily, there are books. I’m so utterly grateful for books. In all the difficult times of my life, books have always been there—to transport me to another world when the one I’m in is too difficult to inhabit, to take me to places all over the globe, and to introduce me to people both different than and similar to myself.

The readers who may relate to Veronica’s struggles—having a parent struggling with an addiction, trying to figure out what your “passion” is, or working on balancing multiple aspects of your life—may want something else to read after finishing Life in the Balance.

I have a bunch of wonderful suggestions!

The Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller

Tae Keller is this year’s Newbery medalist and her debut, The Science of Unbreakable Things, is also wonderful. It tells the story of Natalie, whose botanist mother is struggling with depression. Natalie is determined to win the school’s egg drop competition in order to earn the money to fly her mom to see the famous Cobalt Blue Orchids—and fall in love with life again.

The Mending Summer by Ali Standish

This book isn’t out until this summer, but it’s utterly magical, telling the story of Georgia, who is sent to stay with her great-aunt in order to escape her parents’ constant fights over her father’s alcoholism. As Georgia gets used to her new surroundings, she meets a mysterious new friend and encounters a magical lake, the possible solution to all her problems.

The Distance to Home by Jenn Bishop

This is a great “girls in sports” book, which introduces us to Quinnen, who was once the star pitcher of her local baseball team but is now dealing with the death of Haley, her older sister and best friend. When Quinnen befriends a visiting member of a local minor league team, can she find the peace and inspiration to carry on and find joy again?

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Mia Tang is an expert on balance. She’s constantly working, helping to manage the front desk of a motel while her parents clean it. But she’s also keeping the secret that her parents are immigrants while trying to balance school, her dreams of being a writer, and her friends. It’s a lot, and readers will cheer to see Mia speak up and fight back.

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

Zoe has the definition of a complicated relationship with her father—she’s never even talked to him before receiving a letter from him—from prison!—on her twelfth birthday. Now Zoe is determined to discover the truth about her father—and the crime he says he never committed—and prove that he’s innocent, all while trying to show her parents she’s a good enough cook to enter Food Network’s new show, Kids Bake Challenge.

Bio:

Jen Petro-Roy writes “honest books with heart,” about kids who are strong, determined, unsure, struggling to fit in, bubbly, shy, and everything in between. She is the author of P.S. I MISS YOU, GOOD ENOUGH, YOU ARE ENOUGH, and LIFE IN THE BALANCE (out February 2021), all from Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends.

When she isn’t writing, Jen can be found reading, playing board games, belting out songs in the car to embarrass her two daughters, and working as an eating disorder awareness advocate.

Website: http://www.jenpetroroy.com

Twitter: @jpetroroy

Instagram: @jpetroroy

Life in the Balance can be purchased at: