Junius Leak and the Spiraling ­Vortex of Doom

Gr 4-7–Twelve-year-old Junius, who is white, has had a rough go of it lately, from the unfortunate chocolate milk incident to his parents needing to work things out. The butterflies in his stomach are chaotic as his (step) dad drops him in small-town Louisiana with family for a few days, where his mom Junius (June) Leak grew up. The long line of Junius Leaks presents a parallel to the oft-untold pirate stories of Louisiana’s shores throughout this shifting-time-line tale. Though this middle grade novel is on the longer side, the back-and-forth nature of historical events in this small Louisiana town pairs nicely with the 1980s setting. The narrator, a lake, provides a unique point of view as it has seen all the changes to the people and the town in the last 100 years, but the focus lies within the most current Junius Leak. A coming-of-teen arc allows Junius to find ways to exist with his anxiety, uncover some of his history, and step into teenhood in a healed state. The subtle representation of neurodivergence and invisible health conditions is well woven into quite a few characters and will provide a mirror to many. This swashbuckling story across time will pull readers in like a vortex.