The Beat I Drum, by Dusti Bowling

  The newest book from Dusti Bowling, author of the wonderful Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus. In fact, The Beat I Drum is the third book using Cactus characters, this one being a story told by Cactus character Connor Bradley, so you can look forward to some "appearances" in this book by Aven, the main character in the Cactus book!

    Connor is starting high school, and he and his mom have just moved to a new place, away from the friends he had knew and loved (including Aven and Zion). Starting a new school is stressful enough, but much more so for Connor, who has Tourette syndrome. This syndrome causes Connor to tic when he gets nervous, and the more nervous he gets, the worse his tics become. For him, his main tic is a loud noise that sounds like a dog barking. Not exactly the sort of communication style that most high school teens are used to, and not everyone at Connor's new school is okay with it. Luckily, a few kids are, and this small group of characters becomes Connor's new friend group throughout the story.

    The Beat I Drum is a book about being yourself, acceptance, and forgiveness. Bowling writes really relatable and believable characters in all of her stories, so it's hard not to cheer for Connor, but to also feel his stress and disappointments. He is trying to navigate his mom and dad's divorce, leaving the friends who accepted him for who he is, and making new friends when, at any moment, a loud bark could (and often does) erupt from his mouth. A difficult set of challenges, but one Bowling navigates with kindness and honesty.

    I remember when another librarian turned me on to The Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, and since then I have read most of Bowling's stories. She is a good storyteller, and The Beat I Drum is no exception. It wasn't as powerful as Cactus, as many offshoot books aren't, but still an exceptions story that is worth your time! 4 paws!