Acknowledgements

Mental health is everyone’s issue, and we each approach it differently. Gus’s racing and distracted thoughts came to me all too easily. Turning them into a story anyone but me could follow was much harder. Hilary McMahon offered heartfelt and useful criticism of an early draft. Slow down, I can’t breathe, she said. Gayle Friesen offered abundant encouragement and at least two important plot points. And when I say offered, I mean I stole them from her and claimed to have thought of them myself. The Scholastic Canada team — sales, marketing, school markets, production, everyone — were their usual stellar selves. Shouts out to Diane Kerner and Amanda Sun for perspective and Gui Filippone for enthusiasm and zhuzh. But my loudest applause, deepest bow, biggest acknowledgement goes to Anne Shone. She “gets” me, which is what any writer wants in an editor. Down to the last minute she’s thinking: How can it be even better? And she never forgets the reader who might relate to Gus. Neither do I. If that’s you, reading this now — I see you.