Girl of the Year 2022: Corinne to the Rescue

 Published: 2022. Author: Wendy Wan-Long Shang. Illustrator: Peijin Yang.

Summary

As Corinne, Gwynn, and their dad are enjoying the last day of skiing before the snow melts, Flurry attracts the attention of a rescue dog trainer/mentor. She and Corinne talk for a bit, and come to an agreement that (pending parent permission) if Flurry can learn certain techniques the mentor, Kim, will work with Corinne to train Flurry further. And the training will be perfect for being part of Corinne and Gwynn's tradition of doing Five New Things each summer.

Their mom has her announcement about a New Thing: Corinne and Gwynn are getting a baby brother. Corinne can't help having mixed feelings: will Arne love the baby more because of the biological relation? Why did Corinne's grandparents emphasize the baby being a boy? Will Corinne and Gwynn be able to have their own rooms eventually now that their brother needs a nursery? Will their mom be okay with pregnancy and labor, or might she get sick?

At least their mom is still on board with the annual camping trip. Arne's nervous about whether it's safe for the baby, but the women of the house reassure him that while, yes, there is morning sickness, it's nothing unusual or dangerous that necessitates canceling camping.

And the camping trip is a lot of fun. Cassidy's able to come, and Arne's able to enjoy getting back to nature. But during a canoe trip, their canoes capsize and they end up stranded on a beach. Arne's leg is broken and badly cut, and Corinne's mom is feeling ill (the baby seems to be fine; she was able to protect her abdomen). Cassidy has an idea to boil river water in a cup she folds of aluminum from a survival kit she and Corinne made, so at least they won't dehydrate. But it'll be hours before anyone realizes the group is missing. Arne has a topographical map of the area, and Corinne and Cassidy realize they're very close to a trail they hiked yesterday--they can get to camp in an hour and send help quickly. Leaving Gwynn "in charge" (both to distract her with a job and to maximize how fast they can travel), Corinne and Cassidy head out with Flurry.

It's a difficult trek: the girls have to contend with a recent rockslide impeding the way, and a mountain lion. They also have a tough conversation about Corinne's worries about the baby. But they finally make it, reaching a familiar-looking meadow where Flurry alerts to a scrunchie Cassidy lost the day before. They're back, and soon the others are rescued. And with the skills Flurry learned and showed, it's time to really start the search and rescue training!

Three months later, the day arrives: Corinne's mom goes into labor. It's not long before she and Gwynn meet their baby brother, Blix Yong. His Swedish name means joy and happiness; his Chinese name means brave. Corinne can hardly wait to show him the world.

Misc

Dedicated to "LJF, who keeps me laughing." Thanks is given again to Greta Gessele, Dr. Jennifer Ho, Angela Liu, Lori Spence, and Dr. William Wei for their contributions and advice.

Cassidy says her mom told the average person eats six pounds of dirt over a lifetime, just from accidental ingestion. When I was four, my brother told me it was a spoonful. A brief search says six pounds is closer--I'm glad that's not what my then-seven-year-old brother told me, because I thought the spoonful of dirt was a requirement and wanted to get it over with right away, so I grabbed a spoon from the kitchen, went out in the yard, and ate a spoonful.

The appendices are about a pair of friends who adventure around Washington, hiking Mt. Si in North Bend and biking seventeen miles between their houses, including over the I-90 bridge on Lake Washington (the second-longest floating bridge in the world); how to make a survival kit; and directions for banana boat treats.