Excerpt from How to Build a Heart by Maria Padian, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

"You're so good, Izzy. Or should I call you Saint Isabella?" "And for the record, I'm not the one who's chicken. You are." No retort. I got her there.

I climb out of the car, dog in my arms, and retrace my steps down the long, dark driveway. When the lights of the house come into view, Frank begins to squirm. I let him down and he rockets off. I treat myself to one last look at the Shackeltons' glowing house, then hustle back to the car.

Roz has the engine running, and pulls away the moment I close the door. Neither of us speaks for a while.

"I told you we'd see bugs," Roz says, finally breaking the stalemate.

"I saw Sam," I tell her. She glances at me, waiting. "One hell of a bug."

"Helluva bug," she agrees.

Another moment of silence, and then the two of us give in to the adrenaline and begin laughing hysterically.

It's amazing how quickly I forgive her.

Excerpted from How to Build a Heart by Maria Padian. Copyright © 2020 by Maria Padian. Excerpted by permission of Algonquin Young Readers. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.