Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better

Wry humor and sharp insight capture the distinctive voice of a young teen forced by his mother’s unstable mental health to recalibrate his outlook and build a new life with found family. For fans of Gary D. Schmidt and Rebecca Stead.
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Quagmire Tiarello prides himself on not needing anything from anybody. Sure, his mom is skipping work again and showing signs of going into one of her full-out spins, but it’s nothing he can’t handle. He’s used to her up-and-down moods, even if this time it feels a little different.
Then his mom disappears, and Quag must find shelter with an uncle he didn't know he had. Should he come clean about his mother’s mental health challenges? Or can he use his carefully honed skills to bluff long enough to find his mom and get home? Readers will root for Quag as he finds himself rethinking his world and learning to accept help from the people who love him.

About the author

Mylisa Larsen was born in Idaho, has lived in eight states and two countries, and currently resides in Wisconsin. She is the author of several picture books, including How to Put Your Parents to Bed, and the acclaimed middle grade novels Playing Through the Turnaround and Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better. mylisalarsen.com.

Product details

• Authors: Mylisa Larsen, Larsen Mylisa
• Publisher: Harper Collins
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 8 to 12
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 05.05.2026
• EAN: 9780063324671
• ISBN: 978-0-06-332467-1
• No. of pages: 240
• Subjects: Children's and young people's books; Children’s / Teenage fiction: Family and home stories, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Boys and men, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Rural and farm life, JUVENILE FICTION: Family / Orphans & Foster Homes, JUVENILE FICTION: Social Themes / Emotions & Feelings, JUVENILE FICTION: Social Themes / Friendship, JUVENILE FICTION: Lifestyles / Farm & Ranch Life, JUVENILE FICTION: Boys & Men, JUVENILE FICTION: Family / Parents, JUVENILE FICTION: Family / Alternative Family, JUVENILE FICTION: Social Themes / Poverty & Homelessness, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Friendship stories, Children’s / Teenage: Social topics: Poverty / precarity