Today we’re featuring The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley by April Stevens 

This novel does so many things well (see reviews below), and there are many layers to explore, but a particularly wonderful one is what it’s like to have an extra-inquisitive, quirky mind.

I taught in a classroom for highly gifted children, as well as a regular education room, and the label “gifted” can hold more challenges than one might suspect. Giftedness is often accompanied by high anxiety, perfectionism, and one or more learning differences (dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD). Kids also tend to have intensity across the board. These are all challenges, but what about the tightrope of how you’re perceived by your peers? This can be a doozy and all-encompassing. There are social dangers—some perceived, some real—to sharing all that buzzes through a high-speed mind and author April Stevens gives us a peek. The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley could serve as an important mirror for gifted kids and a peek through a window for others who think being smart makes life easy.

From the outset, you know you’re dealing with an intriguing main character when you find out Frances has taken on the name “Figgrotten.” Everyone else calls her by her given name, Frances, but the name Figgrotten suits her just fine. Figgrotten has the rest of her sixth-grade life pretty well figured out, too. She has a “rock world” outside her house where she can observe her beloved outdoors, she knows her role in her class culture and can count on her teacher, Mr. Stanley, to observe the rules they’ve inadvertently established. She also depends deeply on her friendship with her kind and wise bus driver, Alvin. The only thing Figgrotten doesn’t seem to have figured out is why her older teen sister is behaving in such surprising ways. But when a new kid, James, joins the class, he threatens to disrupt Figgrotten’s world. Of course, these are just the start of her struggles and it all unfolds with beautiful sentences, strong imagery, and a distinct voice.

Ideally, in order for us to feel validated as well as develop empathy, windows and mirrors are both important in our reading lives. Even for those who prefer a strong external plot, it’s important to acknowledge the strong internal narratives we all have spinning through our minds. Often our internal challenges can rival the external. The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley is a powerful story with a “resonant roar” that, to borrow Emma Dryden’s words, “only a well-crafted internal narrative can bring.” Every member of my family was moved by joining Figgrotten on her journey. This is a beautiful book.

Also, visit this wonderful post by editor Emma Dryden about the power of a more “internal” story. And here’s a website with more information on the emotional needs of gifted children.

“A moving depiction of unique characters, grief, and the benevolent power of forgiveness.”–Kirkus, starred review

“If a novel can show the growth of a soul, this one does it. Frances begins this story almost literally in a cave; she ends it with the discovery of how unexpectedly wide the world can be. To cheer for her growth–painful as it is–is to cheer for our own possibilities.” –Gary D. Schmidt, three-time Newbery Honor-winning author

“Filled with indelible characters, this lyrical novel about acceptance and what it means to be truly kind will resonate with readers on a deeply emotional level.” –Stephanie Hemphill, Michael L. Printz Honor Award winner

April Stevens is the author of the acclaimed novel for adults, Angel Angel. She also is the author of the picture books Waking up Wendell, illustrated by Tad Hills, and Edwin Speaks Up, illustrated by Sophie Blackall. She lives in Northwestern Connecticut with her husband, the writer Alexander Neubauer, and their two children.