The Exceptional Maggie Chowder

November 2, 2020
In Renton, Wash., summer brings unexpected challenges to 12-year-old Maggie: her father loses his job and gets work acting on a low-budget web series, her mother takes a grocery store job, and the family sells their home to move to a “cozy” apartment near the grocer’s, where Maggie shares a room with her four-year-old brother Aaron, who is autistic. The arrival of her opinionated, comics-hating grandmother only makes things worse, as does Maggie’s best friend, LaTanya Richards, moving into a larger home courtesy of her father’s new job coaching the Seattle Seahawks. Despite the upheaval, Maggie is determined to follow the example of her comic book idol, fearless superhero Eagirl, and to become a forest ranger, just like Eagirl. When opportunity arises to attend Seattle Comic Con and compete for a chance to attend Forest Ranger Camp, Maggie begins to see that maybe things aren’t all bad. Lute’s narrative sensitively portrays Aaron’s autism, Maggie’s mixed feelings about her new home, and her frustration with changes beyond her control, while interspersed Eagirl comics by Valentine bring readers a glimpse of the feminist ranger hero whom Maggie hopes to become. Ages 9–12.