Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse by Susan Vaught (review)

Middle-schooler Jesse is neurodivergent and bullied at school; when she befriends new kid Springer, who also identifies as having autism spectrum disorder, she at least no longer has to deal with the bullying alone. When Jesse's dad, a teacher at the town high school, is arrested for allegedly stealing from the library fund, she and Springer form the "Observant But Weird In a Good Way Detective Agency" to investigate. Their explorations are a useful distraction from how much Jesse misses her mother, who is deployed in Iraq, and how traumatic it was to see her remaining parent handcuffed and dragged away. As Jesse, Springer, and Jesse's Pomeranian, Sam-Sam, investigate the missing money, Jesse's affinity for counting and attention to sensory details make this a charming account of friendship developing around the mutual consideration of needs. Soon enough, however, as a tornado destroys much of the town, Jesse is compelled to halt her rather impressive investigation and use Sam-Sam to help find survivors. Springer's compassionate but assured ways of dealing with his new friend, her dog, and everyone around him coupled with Jesse's goal-oriented focus casts even their bullies in a new light; the book makes the point that the special treatment of special needs kids can sometimes seem unfair to other youngsters with a lot on their own plates. This is a deeply smart and considerate little mystery, and while Jesse calls it on the solution, she still has to deal with some more personal things after this case is settled. An author's note about neurodivergence adds context. WJ