Lost Kites and Other Treasures is a precious book for the middle grades reader. Twelve year old Franny lives with her grandma due to circumstances that she learns throughout the book. Franny is quite the artist--usually with materials that others would consider trash.

The story is told from Franny's 12 year old first person perspective--through Franny the reader learns about Franny's estranged mother, relationship with her grandma, her uncle, and other family secrets. Throughout the book, Franny and the other characters learn about the power of change, forgiveness, and acceptance of the past and other things we can not control.

Thank you NetGalley and Cathy Carr for the ARC.

I loved Cathy Carr’s first book, 365 DAYS TO ALASKA, and LOST KITES AND OTHER TREASURES is just as phenomenal. Heartfelt, funny, humorous, and serious, but never preachy or pretentious. It’s a wonderful book about family, friendship, art, creativity, childhood, and NJ. And the voice! I adore Franny, the main character, who is flawed but deeply lovable, and her grandmother, who felt so real and complex on the page. All of the characters did.

And the pacing is great—I didn’t want to put it down, and I finished it in a few hours.

As someone who spent several childhood years in northern New Jersey, I can also attest that the speech patterns, cultural references, and setting in the book feels 100% authentic. It was a very satisfyingly nostalgic read for me (yet it also felt current and contemporary).

I also loved the references to various artists, art processes, and art history.

Highly recommended!!

Carr does a wonderful job of creating 12 year old Franny's world!
This middle grade novel will resonate with students who also deal with complicated family relationships as well as those who struggle with their own mental health challenges. I'm excited to add this one to our school library collection.

This book is a beautiful way to come to terms with many different things in Franny’s life. When her grandmother hurts herself and they are forced to move into a rental house Franny is not quite sure what to expect. She knows that she loves to create art with things others might find to be junk. Her grandmother seems to think so, yet in putting together lost thing Franny gives new life to things others have forgotten. Which is perfect for Franny since she feels like she personally has so many lost things. The biggest being her mother. She knows her mother gave her up for the right reasons but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt. When her uncle comes to help Franny and her grandmother out, Franny starts to pull things together. Is her grandmother’s injury a blessing in disguise.
This is just a unique book. There are so many different topics touched upon. It is a great book to show perspective. Also, how something that might initially seem like a bad thing can actually bring about positive change.
Thank you so much to Abram Kids and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Lost Kites and Other Treasures is a story that is needed in today's world. It brings to light how a creative middle schooler can cope with diverse family dynamics and mental health. Carr shows how talking with one another can provide insight and learn that you aren't alone. For such a fragile subject, Carr does a fabulous job at making it accessible for the average middle schooler.

So glad I got to read this book- it is a treasure! Franny’s story captivated me from the first line. She lives with her Nana, who hurts her leg; there’s so much for Franny to sort through and make sense of. Masterful writing brings depth and insight.

I loved Franny’s story. We need more books involving characters dealing with mental illness in their families. The middle school relationships were very realistic. I loved Franny’s creative side and the way art helped her deal with her trauma.

Money is tight for Franny and her grandmother, mom is out of the picture, and best friend Ruben seems to have found someone to replace her. Then Nana breaks her femur and will be wheelchair bound for 6 weeks or more and things get really tough. Cathy Carr’s main character is likable and well-developed and middle grade readers will be rooting for Franny from beginning to end, in part because she is so much like them. Excellent choice for those in grades 4-7 and with its less than 200 pages, will be approachable for most readers in those grades. Text is free of profanity, sexual content, and violence.

A good entry in the world of mental illness and the affects it has on the kids left behind. I enjoyed the inclusion of art and the power it has to heal and help. Fran's self-confidence is also amazing.

All I have to say is READ THIS BOOK. This is an amazing book for younger readers to relate to. I think mental health is a very important topic and the fact that this book helps touch on this very serious topic, young readers can finally put words to their feelings.

Franny is a 12 year old very artistic kid. Franny finds new uses for what many others discard. When her Nana falls and breaks her leg, Franny and Nana must move. Franny's mother is absent due to incarceration, substance abuse, and mental illness. Franny not only faces family challenges, but changes in her friendships as well. Carr deals with complex situations in a way that is very relatable for readers.

This book has everything I love about middle grade: 1) a main character so richly drawn the reader feels immediately compelled to root for them, 2) intergenerational relationships, 3) friendship dilemmas, and 4) HEART.
Franny Petroski is her own, whole, unique person. I loved her! And she also has a lot of family baggage that's pretty heavy. There will be readers who see themselves in this story and will feel less alone. That is a gift. There are others who will read it and understand better why some people in their lives might be acting the way they do. Also a gift!
Shout out to all the memorable characters that author Cathy Carr has drawn here, including Franny's Nana & Uncle, and most especially her group of friends. Be you, younglings! Make art and be you!

Franny lives with Nana since she was young. Everything was working out until Nana falls and gets hurt. Then Uncle Gabe shows up to help. Franny starts to learn about her mom and finds out about her struggles with bipolar disorder. In addition to her struggles at home, one of her best friends moves away and the other starts to have other friends. Franny still has her art as an outlet.

This is a great middle grade novel! It address the mental health in a sensitive manner. It shows Franny dealing with a lot, but getting through everything with help. I enjoyed reading about Franny and seeing how her story unfolds. I would recommend this to a middle grader. I can’t wait to share it with others.

Franny and Nana have a rhythm and then that gets overturned when Nana gets hurt.
Franny has to adjust to a new home and Uncle Gabe coming to help.
Franny starts to learn more about her mom who is not around and learns more about the family that Uncle Gabe, Nana and her mom had before.
Franny is also dealing with friendship changes. Her friend Lucy is in London for a time and her friend Reuben is making new friends.
But Franny still has her art and creating new pieces helps her calm her mind.
Franny learns about her mom's bipolar disorder and how it has affected her family.
This is such a great middle grade book for anyone dealing with changes in their life.
I liked how they talked about bipolar and show you that it can be treated and people can live normal lives.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Cathy Carr follows up to her outstanding first novel with another strong narrative voice. Franny is an artist who has a lot of questions about her family history, specifically her mother who's been out of the picture for years. The relationship with her Nana is sensitively portrayed, the delicate balance of responsibility and care between grandmother and granddaughter. All the characters are fully fleshed out, including Uncle Gabe, who doesn't just swoop in as a savior but has his own feelings and needs, too. Most of all, Franny's voice is direct and kid-like and lingers after the last page. Highly recommend.

As a huge fan of Cathy Carr's debut, 365 to Alaska, I was anxious to read her sophomore novel and it did not disappoint. Carr has a knack for bringing family dramas and local communities to life through middle schoolers' eyes. In her latest, Lost Kites and Other Treasures, readers will instantly empathize with Franny Petroski as she navigates changing friendships and family challenges, and the fine line between secrecy and privacy, as Carr creatively tells it. A poignant and gentle novel about the toll that bipolar disorder takes on one family, this is also a story of humor, food, and the many ways in which salvaged things become art. I'm grateful to the author and publisher for an ARC of this relatable and informative story that grabbed my heart.