Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus

by Dusti Bowling

“Aven is a perky, hilarious, and inspiring protagonist whose attitude and humor will linger even after the last page has turned.” —School Library Journal (Starred review)

The paperback edition of the bestselling middle grade novel about a spunky girl born without arms and a boy with Tourette syndrome navigating the challenges of middle school, disability, and friendship—all while solving a mystery in a western theme park.
 
Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she’ll have to answer the question over and over again.
 
Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It’s hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your worst fears. But Aven’s about to discover she can do it all . . . even without arms.

Autumn 2017 Kids’ Indie Next Pick
Junior Library Guild Selection
Library of Congress's 52 Great Reads List 2018

 

• ISBN13: 9781454932994
• Publish Date: 5 March 2019 (first published 5 September 2017)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co Inc
• Imprint: Sterling
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

I really needed something to remind me how wonderful people can be, and this book really did the trick. For me, this book was about differences, and embracing them. It was about not buying into the limitations others put upon you. The heart of this book was Aven, a young woman, who was born without arms. Maybe she had no arms. Maybe she had no arms, but she had an abundance of spunk, character, and heart. She was a dynamo, and I adored her.

Aside from the amazingness that was Aven, I also loved the friendship that developed between Connor and Zion. Zion was often harassed, because he was overweight, but Aven recognized him for his imagination and kindness. Connor was not only bullied for his Tourette's, but also accused of faking it for attention. He became Aven's best friend, and her friendship was something that helped him gain back some of his self esteem. I thought it was wonderful the way Bowling educated us about TS too. At one point, Aven and Connor go to a TS support group meeting. There, they discuss the many different way TS can affect someone. Like every other issue touched upon in the book, it's done with humor, but also great care and sensitivity.

I was utterly charmed by this book, and I am positive my heart exploded.

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