For twelve-year-old Addie, life is never stable for very long. When she and her mother move into a mobile home on the corner of a run-down lot next to a train overpass, it doesn’t exactly seem like the fresh new start it’s supposed to be. But it’s the best her former stepfather can offer after his breakup with Addie’s mom. It soon becomes clear that Addie might have been better off with her stepdad Dwight than with her biological mother. Mommers, as Addie calls her, is an “all-or-nothing” person. Sometimes she’s high on life, joking with Addie and feeling positive about money-making opportunities. Other times she’s angry with the world and unable to care for Addie, much less herself. Meanwhile Addie is desperate to hold things together in the hope that something better is just around the corner. When Mommers gets involved in a doubtful business venture and disappears for days at time, Addie struggles to feed and clothe herself on her own. Luckily for Addie, there are people looking out for her—her caring stepdad, the convenience store owners on the corner, and her distant paternal grandfather. While the resolution almost seems better than Addie could have wished for, it’s a fitting conclusion for a young girl yearning for stability and unconditional love. (Ages 10–14)

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.