Waiting for Normal

School Library Journal Best Book * ALA Notable Children’s Book * New York Public Library’s “One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing” * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best * Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choice * Connecticut Book Award Winner * American Library Association Schneider Family Book Award Winner

This poignant and joyful novel is filled with meaningful moments and emotional resonance.

Addie is waiting for normal. But Addie's mother has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, her way or no way.

Addie’s mother is bipolar, and she often neglects Addie. All-or-nothing never adds up to normal, and it can't bring Addie home, where she wants to be with her half-sisters and her stepfather. But Addie never stops hoping that one day, maybe, she'll find normal.

“A heroine with spunk and spirit offers an inspiring lesson in perseverance and hope. First-rate.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

What does it take to build a life for yourself when the person who’s supposed to care for you can’t?

• A Mother with Bipolar Disorder: Addie learns to navigate her mother’s "all-or-nothing" world of food fiestas and empty pantries, loving her while craving the stability she can’t provide.
• Found Family: When her own home feels lost, Addie finds unexpected friendship and support from the quirky, kind-hearted neighbors at the corner minimart.
• Heartbreaking and Heartwarming: A deeply moving story for kids that honestly portrays the challenges of having a parent with mental illness, without ever losing its sense of hope.
• Finding Home: From a trailer under an overpass to her grandfather’s farm, Addie’s journey is a powerful search for the one place she truly belongs—with her half-sisters and the stepfather who never stops being her dad.

Addie is waiting for normal.

But Addie's mom has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, jubilation or gloom, her way or no way.

All or nothing never adds up to normal.

All or nothing can't bring you all to home, which is exactly where Addie longs to be, with her half sisters, every day.

In spite of life's twists and turns, Addie remains optimistic. Someday, maybe, she'll find normal.

Leslie Connor has created an inspiring novel about one girl's giant spirit. waiting for normal is a heartwarming gem.

“A heroine with spunk and spirit offers an inspiring lesson in perseverance and hope. First-rate.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A story centered around loss, heartbreak, abandonment, and new beginnings.” - School Library Journal (starred review)

*“This book persuades that good people and delighful possibilities are all around, even in the most unpromising circumstances.” - KLIATT

“Connor convincingly portray’s Addie’s beyond-her-years resourcefulness and the opposing feelings that drive her to protect the life she has while longing to be a permanent part of the ‘normal’ home her sisters occupy with her stepfather.” - The Horn Book

“[Leslie] Connor treats the subject of child neglect with honesty and grace in this poignant story. Characters as persuasively optimistic as Addie are rare, and readers will gravitate to her.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)