A gripping new novel in verse by the author of the Printz Honor-winning Starfish, featuring a poverty-stricken boy who bravely rides out all the storms life keeps throwing at him

Joe Oak is used to living on unsteady ground. His mom can’t be depended on as she never stays around long once she gets “the itch,” and now he and his beloved grandmother find themselves without a home. Fortunately, Joe has an outlet in his journals and drawings and takes comfort from the lessons of comic books—superheroes have a lot of “and then, boom” moments, where everything threatens to go bust but somehow they land on their feet. And that seems to happen a lot to Joe too, as in this crisis his friend Nick helps them find a home in his trailer park. But things fall apart again when Joe is suddenly left to fend for himself. He doesn’t tell anyone he’s on his own, as he fears foster care and has hope his mom will come back. But time is running out—bills are piling up, the electricity’s been shut off, and the school year’s about to end, meaning no more free meals. The struggle to feed himself gets intense, and Joe finds himself dumpster diving for meals. He’s never felt so alone—until an emaciated little dog and her two tiny pups cross his path. And fate has even more in store for Joe, because an actual tornado is about to hit home—and just when it seems all is lost, his life turns in a direction that he never could have predicted.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Nancy Paulsen Books, May 2024

• Publishers Weekly “Starred” Review
• Booklist “Starred” Review
• Junior Library Guild Selection
• Global Read Aloud Selection
• Publishers Weekly’s Children’s Books for National Poetry Month

 “Fipps depicts situations of abuse, financial precarity, houselessness, and hope through easy-to-read verse in this elucidating work.”
—Publishers Weekly Starred Review

“As in her Starfish, Fipps focuses on another young person on the fringe of their peer group, and the novel-in-verse narrative works beautifully here, invoking urgency and intimacy. Vivid descriptions of housing and food scarcity are intense and unforgettable, sure to spark empathy from any young reader. … An exceptionally compassionate examination of existence on the edge.”
—Booklist Starred Review

“Fipps doesn’t sugarcoat poverty, nor does she romanticize it or treat it as a moral failing; instead, she provides critical representation to the many schoolchildren who are living in poverty. Joe’s courage and individuality shine on every page. . . . A big, bold, engaging, and important story.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“A fine example of how a novel in verse can be the perfect vehicle for getting inside the head of a character and creating empathy for what it’s like to be him.”
—Horn Book

“I cannot say enough about this book. It tore my heart out and put it back together again. In short, this book is a triumph. Another Author Lisa Fipps and Editor Nancy Paulsen collab that makes the world a better place. I want this book in every middle-grade classroom and middle-school library. It needs to be in homes, in bookshops, on shelves EVERYWHERE.”
—Lorie Barber, Anderson’s Bookshop

“When Lisa Fipps and Nancy Paulsen team up you should just clear your schedule because the books they create are going to be unputdownable. I didn’t think I could love a book as much as I loved Starfish, but they did it again. I shed so many tears while reading Joe’s story because I’m aware too many kids share his story of facing the storms that come with food insecurity, loss of loved ones, abandonment, and unpaid bills that lead to no heat, hot water, phone service, and electricity. Luckily for Joe he has a circle of support that is eventually able to get him the help he so desperately needs. My hope is more kids facing all the and then, booms in their life will read this story, feel less alone and ask for the help they deserve.”
—Julie Potvin Kirchner

“This was so not what I thought this MG book was going to be about and I’m 100% okay with that because, man, can Author Lisa Fipps  write. I bawled the last three fourths of the novel in verse. I wanted to wrap Joe in a hug and never let go. So many kids are struggling with many of the issues Joe faced (and he faced a lot), but his good heart, tenacity, and strength had me cheering for him at every turn. If you thought Starfish was amazing, wait until And Then, Boom! releases. It’s a contender for the Newbery, in my humble opinion. So many fantastic quotes I highlighted as I read! An automatic preorder and book club pick to help teach kids empathy, understanding and kindness.”
—Amanda Hunt 

“How does Lisa Fipps do it, write books that will change you as the reader? Joe has hard things in his life. I cried for him. I was especially grateful for the kindness that he was given, and the hope I felt for the world.”
—Erin Bedell 

“I was HOOKED the minute I began the story. There were so many moments when my heart actually hurt and I wanted to jump into the pages and rescue Joe. Sometimes an author’s ‘sophomore’ novel doesn’t measure up to their debut, but that is NOT the case here. This story is every bit as good as Starfish, if not better. Joe’s story will be a window for most readers, but also a mirror for those readers that need the story the most.”
—Patrick Andrus

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Large Print

• Thorndike

Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules — like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.” She’s found her safe space — her swimming pool — where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the pool, she starfishes. Stretches out. Takes up all the room she wants, instead of living by the fat girl rules society taught her. The pool is also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who love Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life — by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Nancy Paulsen Books (PRH), March 2021

• Read with Jenna (Junior Selection)

Awards

• 2024 Kellogg’s and the Feeding Reading Summer Promotion Selection
• 2024 Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee
• 2024 Evergreen Teen Book Award MS Nominee
• 2023-2024 Sasquatch Nominee
• 2023-24 The William Allen White Children’s Book Award Nominee
• 2023 Delaware Library Assoc Blue Hen Award Winner
• 2023 South Dakota Teen Choice Awards Winner
• 2023 Sakura Medal Nominee, Chapter Books Category (Japan)
• 2023 Siam Book Awards, Middle Reader Shortlisted Books (Thailand)
• 2023 Sherperd’s Best 100 Books
• 2022-2023 Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Grades 6-9) Winner
• 2022 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature Honor Book
• 2022 Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children’s Book
• 2022 International LiteracyAssociation Notable Books for a Global Society Award Winner
• 2022 National Council of Teachers of English Charlotte Huck Award Honor Book
• 2022 NCTE/Children’s Literature Assembly Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Award
• 2022 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Finalist
• 2022 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Winner
• 2022 YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Winner
• 2022 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
• 2022 Friends of American Writers Young People’s Literature Award
• 2022 Judy Lopez Memorial Award Honor Book
• 2021-2022 Surrey Schools’ Book of the Year Nominee (Surrey, British Columbia)
• 2021 Internationale Jugendbibliothek White Raven (Germany)

Starred Reviews

• Publishers Weekly
• Kirkus Reviews
• School Library Journal
• Booklist

Best Book Lists

• Bank Street College: The Best Children’s Books of the Year 2022 Edition
• Publishers Weekly 2021
• School Library Journal 2021
• The Washington Post 2021
• The Boston Globe 2021
• New York Public Library 2021
• Chicago Public Library 2021
• King County Library System 2021
• Denver Public Library 2021
• Phoenix Public Library 2021

Additional Awards/Lists

• 2024 Colorado Children’s Book Award Junior Book Nominee
• 2024 Evergreen Teen Book Award Middle School Nominee (Washington)
• 2023-2024 Golden Sower Award Nominee (Nebraska)
• 2023-2024 Louisiana Readers’ Choice Awards Nominee
• 2023-2024 Sasquatch Award Nominee (Washington)
• 2023-2024 Truman Readers Award Nominee (Missouri)
• 2023 Blue Hen Book Award Nominee (Delaware)
• 2023 M. Jerry Weiss Book Award Nominee (New Jersey)
• 2023 Flicker Tale Book Award Nominee (North Dakota)
• 2023 Sequoyah Book Award Nominee (Oklahoma)
• 2023 South Dakota Teen Choice Award
• 2023 Rhode Island Middle School Book Award Nominee
• 2023 Beehive Book Award Nominee (Utah)
• 2023 Golden Archer Medal/Wisconsin’s Children’s Choice Book Award
• 2022-2023 Sunshine State Young Readers Award Grades 6-8 Nominee (Florida)
• 2022-2023 Iowa Teen Award Nominee
• 2022-2023 Kentucky Bluegrass Book Award Nominee
• 2022-2023 Georgia Children’s Book Award Nominee
• 2022-2023 Maine Student Book Award Nominee
• 2022-2023 Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Nominee (Maryland)
• 2022-2023 Great Lakes Great Books Nominee (Michigan)
• 2022-2023 Land of Enchantment Book Award Nominee (New Mexico)
• 2022-2023 Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Award Nominee
• 2022-2023 Keystone to Reading Book Award Nominee (Pennsylvania)
• 2022-2023 South Carolina Book Award Nominee
• 2022-2023 South Dakota Teen Book Award Nominee
• 2022-2023 Volunteer State Book Award Nominee (Tennessee)
• 2022-2023 Lectio Book Award Nominee
• 2022-2023 Vermont Golden Dome Book Award Nominee
• 2022-2023 Indian Paintbrush Book Award Nominee (Wyoming)
• 2022 3 Stars Book Award Middle School (District of Columbia)
• 2022 All Connecticut Reads Short List
• 2022 Nēnē Award Nominee (Hawaii)
• 2022 Read Aloud Indiana Reading List
• 2022 Indiana Author Awards Shortlist for Middle Grade
• 2022 YouPer Award Top Ten Title (Michigan)
• 2022 Lone Star Reading List (Texas)
• 2022 Spirit of Texas Reading Program List
• 2022 Just One More Page Reading List (Wisconsin)
• 2021-2022 Virginia Reads
• Surrey Schools’ Book of the Year Nominee, Surrey, British Columbia

Notable

• Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
• 2021 Project LIT Book Club Selection
• Anti-Defamation League – Anti-bias Education Book of the Month October 2021
• Children’s Book Council Every Child Reads 2022 Kids’ Book Choice Award Nominee
• Featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post, and Horn Book
• Lisa has done virtual or in-person visits with thousands of students in
  the United States, Canada, and China

Honor

• Lisa received the Sagamore of the Wabash Award from Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb

“In her debut novel, Starfish, Lisa Fipps confronts diet culture and fat phobia head-on…The book reads as if Ellie herself is writing these poems, which are accessible and engaging.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“Ellie’s story will delight readers who long to see an impassioned young woman seize an unapologetic victory.”
—Booklist (Starred Review)

“Fipps’ verse is skillful and rooted in emotional reality. Make room in your heart for this cathartic novel”
—Kirkus (Starred Review)

“A triumphant and poignantly drawn journey toward self-acceptance and self-advocacy.”
—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“A charming novel in verse about a girl struggling with self-worth. . . . Once readers start, it will be difficult for them to put this book down. ”
—School Library Journal (Starred Review)

“In this free-verse novel, Fipps is laceratingly authentic about the kind of ‘teasing’ and ‘help’ that Ellie is constantly subject to, and the family dynamic, wherein her father dislikes her mother’s treatment but rarely intervenes, is sadly believable. . . The intense focus mirrors a lot of experience, and readers will be glad to see Ellie eventually ‘starfishing—starting to claim my right to take up space.’”
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“This beautiful, heartbreaking, and powerful novel-in-verse would pair well with media literacy lessons on body imagery, bullying, and victim shaming. The story is very engaging and readers will not want to put it down.”
—School Library Connection

“Readers will rejoice as Ellie gains the strength to confront bullies with intelligence and honesty, and refuses to allow other people’s cruelty to shape her life.”
—Padma Venkatraman, award-winning author of The Bridge Home

“This is a big, beautiful book about a big, beautiful girl … An honest, heartbreaking, hilarious novel in verse from a debut author with a delicious voice.”
—Sonya Sones, award-winning author of What My Mother Doesn’t Know

“Starfish will be this life-changing book for so many kids and teens, and it will be an eye-opening book for many more. Lisa Fipps’ spot-on verse gives Ellie a wrenchingly real voice that sings with humor, pain, and hope. Prepare yourself: once you read this book, your heart will never be the same.”
—K.A. Holt, award-winning author of many middle grade novels-in-verse including House Arrest

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Audio

• Playaway Products LLC

Foreign

• Chinese (Complex Characters): The Eastern Publishing Company, Ltd
• Chinese (Simplified Characters): CITIC Press Corporation
• German: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & Co. KG
• Hebrew: Yedioth Aharonot Books
• Korean: Book 21 Publishing Group
• Slovene: DESK
• Spanish Large Print: Thorndike Press
• Turkish: Okuyanus Yayın Eğitim

Other Formats

• Book Club School Paperback: Scholastic Inc.
• Large Print: Thorndike Press