Left Behind Little Brother: Henry at Home by Megan Maynor

AS LONG AS THERE HAD BEEN HENRY AND LIZA, THEY WERE TOGETHER.

They got their shots and their haircuts together. They shared their special place--the twisty tree. But then one day when Liza got a new backpack and a box of unsharpened pencils and new crayons, because she was going to school. Henry was too young for school pencils and crayons.

HENRY WAS SAD AND ANGRY.

"YOU'LL GO TO SCHOOL NEXT YEAR," LIZA SAID.

Henry was angry when the bus took her away. But he decided that if Liza could do things he couldn't do, he would do things that Liza couldn't do! He learned how to start the swing swinging by himself and he invented new tricks on the swing.

He practiced until he was great at The Falcon, balancing lying on swing seat with arms outspread as he soars.

And when the bus dropped Liza off, she was full of stories about her day--making new friends and being line leader and learning the school cheer. Henry just jumped on the swing and showed off his new trick, The Falcon. Liza was impressed!

And Liza offered to teach Henry her class cheer if he'll teach her to do The Falcon, in Megan Maynor's newly published, Henry at Home (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021.)

It is hard for younger children to watch an older sibling move on without them, but it looks like Henry is going to be just fine on his own, and, anyway, they'll always have each other to share the twisty tree. Artist Alex Marley's sweet and sensitive illustrations portray a pivotal moment of childhood that navigates changes in relationships while still nurturing those ties that bind. "Says Publishers Weekly, "Younger siblings or those worried about distance weakening close bonds will find reassurance in this tender narrative."