What Happened to Lani Garver

What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci is an interesting look at how people put others into boxes and don't understand what to do with the people who don't neatly fit into those boxes.

On Hackett Island there is a glaring line between the locals and the summer people. When a new mom and teen move to the island it causes a stir. In the case of Lani (pronounced Lonnie) Garver, it is more of a hurricane.

Claire, a local, is part of the popular crowd. She feels like an outsider sometimes because she missed a year and a half of school in junior high while she was having chemo treatments. Now her decision to make friends with the strange new kid - who no one is even sure if Lani is a he or a she - may push her out of the in crowd and off of the island.

This is a fascinating look at gender, identity, popularity, and deciding whether it is better to fit in or be yourself. Plum-Ucci is a great author.

Plum-Ucci, Carol. (2002). What Happened to Lani Garver. New York: Harcourt, Inc.