Twelve-year-old Darby loves living on her family's strawberry farm. But a big storm is coming, and it threatens to destroy everything she and her family hold dear.

Darby is twelve years old and has Down syndrome. Her favorite things are music, chocolate, and her big sister Kaydee. It's a big weekend for Darby. It's time for their annual chocolate hunt, and it's all she can think about. Well, that and spending time with her big sister. But this year Kaydee's friend Lissa is staying over for the weekend, and she seems to be stealing all of Kaydee's attention. And to make things worse, the strawberry farm is hit by a tornado. Suddenly, it's as though both the chocolate hunt and her sister are slipping away from her.

Although the family is prepared for the tornado, they aren't prepared for the storm of emotions that surface when a truth is brought to light. With tension rising within the family, can Darby mend what's been broken when it seems like no one is listening to her?

A Storm of Strawberries  is a warm, thoughtful, and empathetic novel from acclaimed author Jo Cotterill. **

From School Library Journal

Gr 4–6—Twelve-year-old Darby, who has Down Syndrome, comes from a blended family whose strawberry farm is at risk because of a coming tornado. To complicate matters, her older sister Kaydee brings home a weekend guest, Lissa, who is not merely a friend, but a romantic partner. As the storm brings chaos outside, so do the mounting jealousies and misunderstandings within the family. When the romantic and sexual nature of the teenage girls' relationship is made plain to Darby's parents, the confrontation that follows gives Darby the opportunity to stand up for her sister and remind her family of the values of inclusivity and respect. Darby is, at times, deeply reflective and knowing. For example, she waxes poetic about her family situation, artfully invoking the metaphor of a kaleidoscope to describe the patterns of conversations around her. At other times, she is more naive or even confused by commonplace objects or concepts. When the stakes are highest—during and after a confrontation when Kaydee and Lissa are accidentally outed to her parents—the narrative gets muddied by inconsistent behavior on the part of the parents. There are other small problems with the narrative, such as the passing mention that their brother Olly is allergic to strawberries, which is never revisited. The strawberry farm workers, many of whom are immigrants, are undeveloped characters. VERDICT It is rare to see a middle grade novel starring a protagonist with Down Syndrome; libraries in need of narratives centering people with disabilities may want to seek this out. The inconsistencies and plot holes, however, make this a secondary purchase for most collections.—Lisa Lehmuller, Paul Cuffee Maritime Charter School, Providence

About the Author

Jo Cotterill has had several careers - actor, musician, teacher, fireworks technician - but is now a full-time writer in Oxfordshire. She has published over thirty books for children and young people, including the award-winning Looking at the Stars , A Library of Lemons , and the superhero comic/novel Electrigirl.

Jo loves going into schools and talking about books and reading, and can be found making cards and writing music when she's not spending time with her two young daughters.

Find her online: jocotterill.com / @jocotterillbook