From the Desk of Zoe Washington meets Ways to Make Sunshine in this “noteworthy” ( Kirkus Reviews , starred review) middle grade novel about a determined young girl who must rely on her ingenuity and scientific know-how to save her beloved cat. Twelve-year-old Mira’s summer is looking pretty bleak. Her best friend Thomas just moved a billion and one miles away from Florida to Washington, DC. Her dad is job searching and he’s been super down lately. Her phone screen cracked after a home science experiment gone wrong. And of all people who could have moved into Thomas’s old house down the street, Mira gets stuck with Tamika Smith, her know-it-all nemesis who’s kept Mira in second place at the school science fair four years running. Mira’s beloved cat, Sir Fig Newton, has been the most stable thing in her life lately, but now he seems off, too. With her phone gone and no internet over the weekend at her strict Gran’s house, Mira must research Fig’s symptoms the old-fashioned way: at the library. She determines that he has “the silent cat killer” diabetes. A visit to the vet confirms her diagnosis, but that one appointment stretched family funds to the limit—they’ll never be able to afford cat insulin shots. When Mira’s parents tell her they may have to give Fig up to people who can afford his treatment, Mira insists she can earn the $2,000 needed within a month. Armed with ingenuity, determination, and one surprising ally, can Mira save her best (four-legged) friend before it’s too late? "Middle grade readers looking for realistic stories with engaging protagonists will enjoy meeting Mira, a girl whose passion for science gives her a sense of purpose and the tools to solve problems." ― -- School Library Journal * "A noteworthy debut." ― -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review Sonja Thomas (she/her) writes stories for readers of all ages, often featuring brave, everyday girls doing extraordinary things. Raised in Central Florida—home of the wonderful world of Disney, humidity, and hurricanes—and a Washington, DC, transplant for eleven years (go Nats!), she’s now “keeping it weird” in the Pacific Northwest. Ruled by coffee and cats, a few of her favorite things are dancing to music blasting in the living room, traveling to new places and buying a magnet before leaving, and snuggling with her furry friend, Gabbie Lu—just don’t let her roommate’s three other cats know! Sonja is the author of Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence and Olive Blackwood Takes Action! . Chapter 1: A World of Suck 1 A WORLD OF SUCK Fact: Grapes don’t always explode with scientific reliability. The microwave had stopped heating, but the little green oval halves looked exactly the same. Refusing to give up, I ignored the graveyard of dissected fruit on the countertop and plucked another from a bowl, cut it almost in half, and then placed it on a plate with five other grapes. Even though natural plasmas are rare on Earth—other than lightning or the northern lights—man-made plasmas are everywhere. Just about everybody has seen a TV or computer with a plasma screen. I was still fuzzy on why nuking grapes could cause a plasma ball. Something to do with the microwaves trapped in the watery fruit and getting really hot. Whatever the scientific theory, I loved the idea of creating my own mini twinkling star, even if it only lasted for a microsecond. I tried to focus on making my experiment precise, but my nose crinkled from the smell wafting in from the Crock-Pot. Dad’s “chili.” With Mom working so much after he lost his job, he was trying his best, but I sure missed Mom’s cooking. My cat, Sir Fig Newton, didn’t seem to mind the smell. He sat at attention on the kitchen floor with his tummy sprawled out beneath him, so big that he looked like he’d swallowed a basketball, along with the whole Orlando Magic team. I set the plate in the microwave again. My finger hovered in front of the start button. “Third time’s a winner, right, Fig?” He chattered, a cross between his dainty meow and a goat’s bleat, usually reserved for when he’s spotted a bird through the sliding glass door. His excitement was contagious, but before I had a chance to start the microwave, my phone rang. I snatched my cell from my back pocket. My best friend’s narrow face, almost buried under his chestnut curly shag, filled the screen in the video-call app. I grinned. “Oh my Einstein! I was just about to do your favorite experiment.” “Hey, Miranium,” Thomas replied. His wide smile exposed the gap between his top center teeth. “Exploding grapes?” “Yup!” “You think it’ll really work this time?” I huffed. “I always make it work.” “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, why did the man take his clock to the vet?” “I don’t know. Why?” Silence. Thomas wiggled his nose. I sighed, waiting for it. As always, he allowed the dramatic pause to go on way too long. “Well?” I prompted. “Because it had ticks.” I groaned, but couldn’t mask the grin on my fa