For fans of Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly and The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle by Christina Uss, a novel about one unadventurous girl who discovers she is anything but.

While 11-year-old Loah Londonderry's mother, a noted ornithologist, works to save endangered birds of the shrinking Arctic tundra, shy and timid Loah stays home counting the days till her return. But now, believing she's sighted Loah's namesake, a bird long believed extinct, Dr. Londonderry sets off on a risky solo trek that alarms Loah and makes her wonder if her mother cares more about Loah the bird than Loah her daughter.

When Loah's caretakers wind up in the hospital, she's left alone for the first time. A new friend, Ellis, sees things in Loah no one else does, something hidden and beautiful, like the golden feather tucked away on her namsake bird's wing. She gives Loah strength and comfort-- and when Dr. Londonderry calls to say her expedition has gone all wrong, Ellis helps Loah to find a way to step out of her comfort zone and save her mother, lost at the top of the world.

Beautifully written, The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe is about expeditions big and small and creatures who defy gravity and those bound by it.

Tricia Springstubb has written many well-reviewed books for young readers, including What Happened on Fox Street, which was an Indie Pick, and Every Single Second which received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. She lives in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.