Frankie and Amelia
Cammie McGovern
HarperCollins
Published October 26, 2021
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
About Frankie and Amelia
A heartfelt companion novel to the critically acclaimed CHESTER AND GUS about inclusivity, autism, friendship, and family, perfect for fans of Sara Pennypacker and Kate DiCamillo.
After being separated from his family, Franklin becomes an independent cat, until he meets a goofy dog named Chester. Chester is a service dog to his person, a boy named Gus, and Chester knows just the girl to be Franklin’s person—Gus’s classmate Amelia.
Amelia loves cats, but has a harder time with people. Franklin understands her, though, and sees how much they have in common. When Amelia gets into some trouble at school, Franklin wants to help the girl who’s done so much to help him. He’s not sure how, yet, but he’s determined to try.
This sweet and moving novel demonstrates how powerful the bond between pets and people can be, while thoughtfully depicting a neurodivergent tween’s experience.
My Review
One of the things that really struck me about this book is the decision to tell the whole story from Frankie’s (the cat’s) point-of-view. I think I expected it to have some scenes from Amelia’s perspective, but it doesn’t. I haven’t read CHESTER AND GUS, but it’s told from the perspective of the dog that Frankie meets in FRANKIE AND AMELIA, so if I had, I would have expected the viewpoint.
Frankie’s voice was fun and sweet and gave an interesting view into both Gus and Amelia’s families. I loved the way the story shows the healing power of relationships with animals– as a cat lady, I absolutely believe in that myself, and I loved seeing this positive cat rep– ha!
I don’t have the experience to speak to the authenticity of Amelia or Gus as autistic characters. They made sense to me as characters, though, and I definitely invested in their relationships with Frankie as well as with each other. I loved both Amelia’s and Gus’s moms too.
I think fans of FLORA AND ULYSSES or THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN will love this sweet, insightful story.
Content Notes for Frankie and Amelia
Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.
Representation
Amelia and Gus have ASD.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
None.
Spiritual Content
None.
Violent Content
Frankie learns that Amelia has scratched a girl at school during a conflict.
Drug Content
None.
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