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Description
In this middle-grade story, when Alice's father moves out, she finds herself living with a mother who is dealing with substance issues, so she retreats to her family's old Renaissance tent in the backyard, determined to keep a piece of her old life until he returns. Hoping to salvage something from the summer, she commits to swimming, training to make the freestyle record board for her team. She meets Harriet, an oddball science-fair whiz who believes Alice's best stroke is backstroke, not freestyle, and the two form an unlikely friendship. As Alice navigates family tension, her mother's problems, and the pressure of her swimming goal, she learns what it truly means to hold onto hope.
Quick Summary
One of the things that makes *Tiny Infinities* stand out is the way it mixes a whimsical backyard camp-out with very real family pain, so readers get both a sense of adventure and an emotional gut-punch. It's perfect for kids who love a story that feels like a blend of *Bridge to Terabithia*'s imaginative escape and *The One and Only Ivan*'s quiet, heartfelt tone. Parents should know that while the book is ultimately hopeful, it does touch on a parent's drug use and the stress of a divorce, so younger readers might need a heads-up about those moments. The plot follows Alice as she stubbornly sets up an old Renaissance tent in the yard, invites a quirky neighbor and a stray dog, and the three of them turn the makeshift camp into a refuge where they share secrets, build forts, and discover what it really means to wait for someone to come home. If your kid enjoys stories about resilience, friendship, and a little bit of backyard adventure, this one will keep them turning pages and give you plenty to talk about afterward.