Francine Garcia and the Recipe for Joy

By Beverley Brenna

Nine-year-old Francine Garcia has to help look after her little brother, Alfond, while they stay with Auntie Flora so that Mama and Papa can take baby Ram n to Atlanta for a month of important medical treatments. And looking after Alfond isn't easy-- he throws up all the time, and wrecks her things, and almost gets eaten by a tiger at the circus. Francine's recipe for joy at first involves finding a way to get herself to Atlanta too, but when that doesn't work out, she eventually realizes that joy can be found in the most surprising places if you give it a chance. Her emotional journey parallels Auntie Flora's recovery and return to community since the death of Sylvie, her fianc .

Francine's difficulty with friendships, encounters with ferrets, and passion for elephants will engage and entertain readers age 8 - 12 in this middle-grade novel that unfolds in 29 chapters.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 177337155X
• ISBN13: 9781773371559
• Release Date: October 2026
• Publisher: Yellow Dog
• Length: 200 Pages