WORST-CASE COLLIN by Rebecca Caprara

 

Twelve year old Collin keeps an orange notebook filled with worst-case scenarios. Ever since his mother's tragic accident, he has wanted to be prepared for any emergency. Maybe if he had known the accident would happen and been there, maybe he could have prevented it. Now Collin lives his life hoping to be prepared for anything. 

Collin has several good friends he counts on. They stand by him when the bullies at school pick on him, and they understand his "worst-case" life philosophy. He appreciates when they invite him to their houses for movies and sleepovers. Those invitations allow him to escape the confusion and chaos in his own home. Collin is proud of his professor father who spends all his time trying to solve one of the most important math problems in the world. If successful, he could win a million dollars.

Solving math problems is one thing, but Collin's dad is also a collector, or rather, a hoarder. Their house is filled with all kinds of stuff threatening to smother them both. Collin is able to keep his own room mostly free of the junk, but he isn't always successful. He is grateful for his close friends, but he lives in fear of them finding out the horrible secret of what he calls The Hoard.

WORST-CASE COLLIN by Rebecca Caprara is a wonderful novel in verse that highlights friendship and family and all the complicated issues involved in both. Readers will fall in love with Collin and root for him to regain control of his life as he navigates loss the public and private issues that threaten to pull him under.