* * *
When I got home that evening, I put on the new earrings in front of my mirror: pretty silver starfish that gleamed when I turned my head.
I was so lucky, I told myself. Lucky me.
Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about the kids in the waiting room, who probably felt like the unluckiest kids on earth. Or rather, in the underworld, waiting for their rescue.
I couldn’t rescue them, of course.
I couldn’t do anything.
I couldn’t even tell them about how I’d gotten rescued, because what difference would it make to them?
Except I did have one idea. One tiny little seed of an idea.
“Mom?” I said. She was in the kitchen, starting supper, a yummy-looking cheese omelet. “Could we possibly go back to Phipps?”
Her face paled. “Are you okay?”
Gah. I had to remember to stop freaking out my parents. But also, my parents needed to stop freaking out.
“I’m completely fine,” I said. “I was just thinking there was something I wanted to do.”
“At the hospital? Oh, you mean like a support group? Raina had mentioned one—”
“Not that.”
I told her my idea, and she hugged me. “Let me make a few calls,” she said.
Two days later, when Dad was back from his trip, they both took me to the hospital. They left me in the waiting room and said they’d be back in an hour.
I sat at a table with my book and my notebook. I opened my notebook, took out my purple gel pen, and drew a griffin. Then a norah. A kraken. A Hydra. A mini Charybdis. Then a squiggly monster who didn’t have a name.
“What are you doing?” A small boy was standing next to me, watching. He was bald and very thin. He pointed to my norah. “What’s that?”
“Me,” I said. “Want me to draw you?”
He shrugged.
I drew a smiling shaggy monster with googly eyes. The boy grinned.
“Do you like cool stories?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said.
“About monsters and superheroes?”
He nodded.
“Want to hear one?”
He nodded even bigger.
I pulled out a chair for him. He sat.
Then I opened my copy of D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths and started reading.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book is very close to my heart. Once again, I owe deepest gratitude to my wonderful editor, Alyson Heller, and to Fiona Simpson and Mara Anastas of Aladdin/Simon & Schuster for embracing this project so warmly. Jenna Stempel, a special thank-you for the beautiful cover art.
I wish I didn’t know my way around the Pediatrics floor of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, but that’s where I met the many incredible people—patients, family members, doctors, and other health professionals—who contributed in various ways to this book. Deepest thanks to Dr. Julia Kearney, who first suggested a book about a normal middle-school kid who survives cancer. Dr. Kearney generously shared her expertise and provided brilliant editorial feedback on an early draft. My debt to her is endless. I’m also so grateful for the help I received from other professionals at MSKCC who have asked to remain anonymous.
I also wish to thank several former pediatric cancer patients and their moms for candidly sharing their stories with me: Helen Jonsen, Clare Watkins, Julia Brown, Jennifer Brown, Eleanor Slate, Kelly Slate, Sloane Marcus, Robin Goetz Chwatko. Scarlett Chwatko, in a few years you’ll read this book and let me know what I’ve gotten wrong. Helen, I wish we were both members of a different club—but I’m so very grateful for our friendship.
Violet Beller, thanks again for reading and providing terrific notes. Helen Perelman Bernstein, thanks for suggesting the cover concept. Samantha Bernstein, thanks for sharing your lovely Zentangle self-portrait.
When cancer strikes a kid, it’s a thunderbolt aimed at the whole family. Fortunately, our family is tough—especially Alex, who read an early draft and provided incisive comments. Alex, your strength of character, insight, and empathy will never cease to amaze me. I love and respect you like crazy. Thank you for allowing me to tell this story—not your story, of course, but of course your story was the inspiration.
As ever, I owe my daughter Lizzy bottomless gratitude for several rounds of reading and editing (with her scary pencil), as well as behind-the-scenes support. Josh, thanks for all your encouragement, counsel, and humor, which always keeps me going. Dani, a extra-special hug for all your bravery and goodness. And Chris: you’re the best husband and father imaginable. You’re also an amazing reader and editor, and I couldn’t do this writing thing without you. Thanks for collaborating with me on absolutely everything. I love you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BARBARA DEE is the author of Halfway Normal, Star-Crossed, Truth or Dare, The (Almost) Perfect Guide to Imperfect Boys, Trauma Queen, This Is Me From Now On, Solving Zoe (Bank Street Best Children’s Books), and Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life (Publishers Weekly starred review).
Barbara is one of the founders and directors of the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival. She lives in Westchester County, New York, with her family, two naughty cats, and a rescue hound dog named Ripley. Read more about Barbara at BarbaraDeeBooks.com.
ALADDIN
Simon & Schuster, New York
Visit us at simonandschuster.com/kids
authors.simonandschuster.com/Barbara-Dee
ALSO BY BARBARA DEE
Star-Crossed
Truth or Dare
The (Almost) Perfect Guide to Imperfect Boys
Trauma Queen
This Is Me From Now On
Solving Zoe
Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
First Aladdin hardcover edition September 2017
Text copyright © 2017 by Barbara Dee
Jacket illustration and hand-lettering copyright © 2017 by Jenna Stempel
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
ALADDIN and related logo are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or business@simonandschuster.com.
Art direction by Jessica Handelman
Interior designed by Greg Stadnyk
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Dee, Barbara, author.
Title: Halfway normal / by Barbara Dee.
Description: First Aladdin hardcover edition. | New York : Aladdin, 2017. |
Summary: Twelve-year-old cancer survivor Norah struggles to fit in at middle school after two years of treatment, but she finds her voice with the help of new friend Griffin, who shares her love of mythology.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017003893 (print) | LCCN 2017031288 (eBook) | ISBN 9781481478533 (eBook) | ISBN 9781481478519 (hardcover)
Subjects: | CYAC: Middle schools—Fiction. | Schools—Fiction. | Friendship—Fiction. | Le
ukemia—Fiction. | Family problems—Fiction. | BISAC: JUVENILE FICTION / Social Issues / New Experience. | JUVENILE FICTION / Social Issues / Friendship. | JUVENILE FICTION / Social Issues / Emotions & Feelings.
Classification: LCC PZ7.D35867 (eBook) | LCC PZ7.D35867 Hal 2017 (print) | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017003893
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter 1: The Girl Who
Chapter 2: All Behind You Now
Chapter 3: Nice Haircut
Chapter 4: Doodles
Chapter 5: Lucky Me
Chapter 6: All Better Now
Chapter 7: Friendship Bracelet
Chapter 8: Best Part of The Day
Chapter 9: The Whole Story
Chapter 10: The Full Experience
Chapter 11: Hydra
Chapter 12: Ready for Flight
Chapter 13: Something I Need to Tell You
Chapter 14: Sort of Hiding
Chapter 15: Unexplained Absence
Chapter 16: Silly Putty
Chapter 17: What You Say
Chapter 18: Bad Hair Day
Chapter 19: The Social Thing
Chapter 20: Earrings
Chapter 21: Spider-Girl
Chapter 22: Kraken
Chapter 23: Girl Talk
Chapter 24: Cyclops
Chapter 25: All About Feelings
Chapter 26: A Pair of Green Dragons
Chapter 27: Hera
Chapter 28: Evil Bug
Chapter 29: Pink
Chapter 30: Captivity
Chapter 31: Q and A
Chapter 32: Rock Star
Chapter 33: Whoosh
Chapter 34: Persephone
Chapter 35: The Dog
Chapter 36: Pomegranate
Chapter 37: Omigods: Speech Day in Ms. Farrell’s Second Period English Class
Chapter 38: Loch Ness Monster
Chapter 39: Underworld
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright