The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn, by Sally J. Pla

Each Friday that school is in session, I share the link to a read-aloud preview of a book from SRCSA library. The “First-chapter Friday” selection for May 31, 2024 is The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn, by Sally J. Pla.

Maudie always looks forward to the summers she spends in California with her dad. But this year, she must keep a troubling secret about her home life — one that her mom warned her never to tell. Maudie wants to confide in her dad about her stepdad’s anger, but she’s scared.

When a wildfire strikes, Maudie and her dad are forced to evacuate to the beach town where he grew up. It’s another turbulent wave of change. But now, every morning, from their camper, Maudie can see surfers bobbing in the water. She desperately wants to learn, but could she ever be brave enough? As Maudie navigates unfamiliar waters, she makes friends — and her autism no longer feels like the big deal her mom makes it out to be. But her secret is still threatening to sink her. Will Maudie find the strength to reveal the awful truth — and maybe even find some way to stay with Dad — before summer is over?

The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn was the winner, in 2024, of the Schneider Family Book Award. Presented by the American Library Association, this award honors a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.
https://youtu.be/6DdiamAfZUo