No Fixed Address

September 1, 2018
Grades 4-7 At almost 13, Felix is used to a little spontaneity in his life. He's watched his mom, Astrid (he calls her Astrid?her idea), hop from job to job and guy to guy, and since Felix's grandma died, they've moved a lot. When they get evicted and have to live in a van for a while, Felix believes Astrid when she says it's temporary. Even if Astrid has trouble finding a job, Felix has a backup plan: his favorite game show is hosting a junior edition, and he's actually freakishly good at trivia. He's going to audition and win enough money so that he and Astrid will never have problems again. But living in a van?and keeping it a secret from his friends at school?is starting to take its toll on Felix. Canadian Nielsen (Optimists Die First?, 2016) infuses her erstwhile hero's first-person narrative with humor. Though Felix's wry observations keep things from getting too dark, this is also a straightforward look at the circumstances that can lead to homelessness. Clear-eyed and heartfelt.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2018
A summer adventure in a Volkswagen pop-top van turns into a long-term living situation for twelve-year-old Felix and his loving but irresponsible mother Astrid. Unable to afford an apartment in Vancouver, the two set up housekeeping in Astrid's ex-boyfriend's van, moving from parking lot to street corner to abandoned garage as opportunities present themselves, more or less managing to keep up a fa�ade of respectability. This is assisted by Astrid's flexible sense of morality ( it's important to note that she has levels of lies, and rules surrounding each. Sort of like the Church of Scientology and their levels of Operating Thetans, her rationales don't always make a lot of sense ) but hampered by her bouts of depression, known in the family lexicon as slumps. Felix starts at a new school, where he reconnects with his childhood friend Dylan and meets Winnie Wu, who is introduced as a stereotypical overachiever but develops beyond the initial caricature. When Felix learns that his favorite game show is hosting a junior tournament, he decides its cash prize will solve all his problems and, with his friends' help, sets out to win. Felix is a compelling narrator, engaging both as he keeps a wry sense of humor about his family's worsening situation and when he realizes he can no longer rely on the adults in his life. Nielsen's eye for detail (Felix's Swedish grandmother gave him a tomte to watch over the house; now named Mel, the figure keeps watch from the dashboard) helps bring the story to life. sarah rettger

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2019
Unable to afford an apartment, Felix and his loving but irresponsible mother live in a van. Felix sets out to win his favorite game show's junior tournament, thinking the cash prize will solve his problems. Felix is engaging both as he keeps a sense of humor and when he realizes he can no longer rely on the adults in his life. Nielsen's eye for detail brings the story to life.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from July 1, 2018
For 12-year-old, "fifty percent Swedish, twenty-five percent Haitian, twenty-five percent French" Felix, all of his scary stories are about the Ministry of Children and Family Development--the Canadian agency that has the power to take him from his mom and place him in foster care.His flighty mother, Astrid (she's the Swedish part), is both depressed and chronically under- or often unemployed. His father is mostly out of the picture. Astrid will do what she needs to, including artfully lying and stealing, to keep their heads--barely--above water as they descend into homelessness. As depicted with gritty realism, the pair has been living in a van for months, using public restrooms, and rarely having enough to eat. But Felix has two great friends, Winnie, who is Asian, and Dylan, who is white; they will watch his back whatever comes. Sadly, they have little idea of his truly dire situation since he's so resourceful at hiding his problems in order to stave off the MCFD. When Felix is selected to appear on a quiz show, it seems as if it could offer a resolution for their troubles: Winning would earn him a $25,000 prize. Felix's deeply engrossing and fully immersive first-person narrative of homelessness is both illuminating and heartbreaking. Although the story ends with hope for the future, it's his winsome and affecting determination that will win readers over.An outstanding addition to the inadequate-parent genre. (Fiction. 11-14)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from June 1, 2018

Gr 5-8-Felix Knutsson lived in four different homes before calling a van his home. There is a logical reason for every single move-logical to his mother Astrid, at least. Also, he doesn't like to be called homeless-he would rather use "between places"-but in his home city of Vancouver, vans do not qualify as homes to the mainstream population. Astrid manages to hide their situation from the authorities and even talks her way into securing Felix a spot at a competitive French Immersion program in a new school despite the lack of a fixed address. As the months go on and the weather changes, their situation becomes less and less bearable and leads Felix to a breaking point. The anguish that Felix faces as he strives to follow his mother's demand that he hide their predicament is palpable, and readers will empathize with Felix's situation. Prominent throughout this story is Felix's love for trivia and his quest to land a spot on a new junior edition of a game show, which he believes will end his housing troubles. Readers will be cheering for Felix as he learns to finally let others help him. VERDICT A well-written work of realism that will be a mirror to some and a window for others. A first purchase.-Kate Olson, Bangor School District, WI

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.