Frances, 11, lives in Detroit with her Chinese-immigrant parents and older sister, Clara, whose hair has begun to fall out. Doctors can't find a reason for the bald spot on top of Clara's head and their mom buys Clara a wig to wear, which is stolen at school. Clara is generally a mystery to Frances so finding out from her sister what happened isn't possible. Frances has one friend in the neighborhood, Chinese American Annie. Their friendship revolves primarily around hitting a tennis ball back and forth after school, but Frances and Annie think they know who stole Clara's wig and scheme ways to get it back, to no avail. Meanwhile, their tennis court volleying brings Frances to the attention of a tennis coach, who invites her to practice with a team. Frances gains confidence playing tennis, but hasn't stopped wondering about her sister's hair, until a sneaky read of Clara's diary reveals the truth: Clara's pulling it out herself (an author's note explains this is a psychiatric condition called trichotillomania). In this gorgeously written novel in verse, Frances is a carefully observant narrator revealing a slowly brightening emotional landscape in her specific, immigrant family. A playful moment shared by the sisters at story's end suggests the beginning of something new and happier between them. (Ages 10-13)