Twelve-year-old Michael has been struggling to just be a kid. Between his mom’s illness and his anger at having to help his family out, he is growing up way too fast. But then Michael makes a friend and solves a mystery. Maybe there can be fun and adventure, even during crisis—and maybe, just maybe, Michael will learn his feelings are totally normal and that he’s not alone.

As a teacher for twenty years, Kellie Sanchez has witnessed a lot of family tragedies. By writing Skipper: Friend or Foe? A Distracting Mystery within Life’s Traumatic Events, Sanchez hoped to help preteen boys experiencing all types of difficult situations.