What Happens Next: An Accessible Middle Grade Story About Sisters and Eating Disorders for Children (Ages 8-12)

In this heartfelt and accessible middle grade novel perfect for fans of The Thing About Jellyfish, a young girl throws herself into solving a local mystery to keep from missing her older sister, who has been sent to an eating disorder treatment facility.

Astronomy-obsessed Abby McCourt should be thrilled about the solar eclipse her small town of Moose Junction is about to witness, but she’s not. After her older sister Blair was sent away for an eating disorder, Abby has been in a funk.

Desperate to dull the pain her sister’s absence has left, she teams up with a visiting astronomer to help track down his long-lost telescope. Though this is supposed to take Abby’s mind off the distance between her and Blair, what she finds may bring her closer to her sister than she ever thought possible.

A missing telescope is one puzzle, but the distance between sisters is an even bigger one. Can Abby solve both?

• A Heartfelt Sister Story: Abby loves her older sister Blair, but with Blair away for treatment, the silence at home is deafening. A story about finding your way back to family, even when it feels impossible.
• Dealing with Tough Topics: An honest and accessible look at how a loved one’s eating disorder can affect the whole family, perfect for starting important conversations.
• An Astronomy-Themed Mystery: When a visiting astronomer needs help finding a lost telescope before the big solar eclipse, Abby jumps at the chance for a distraction.
• Charming Small Town Setting: Welcome to Moose Junction, Wisconsin—a town where everyone knows your business, and a summer mystery is the biggest news around.

Claire Swinarski was born and raised in Wisconsin, where she still lives with her family and writes stories for readers of all ages. What Happens Next was her debut middle grade novel and was followed by The Kate in Between, Each and Every Spark, and What Happened to Rachel Riley, which was an ALA Notable Children’s Book, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults title, a Cybils Award nominee, and an Edgar Award nominee. These were followed by Take It from the Top and Each and Every Spark. Claire believes wandering around a library can solve 95 percent of life’s problems.