Figure it Out, Henri Weldon

Seventh grader Henri Weldon is transferring from a special education school to a new school, where she’ll be “mainstreamed.” At her new school, she doesn’t know anyone, and she is already behind in her classes. While the rest of Henri’s family excels in school, she struggles with math and needs the help of a tutoring program to pass her classes. 

Henri’s older sister, Kat, offers to help Henri find friends and survive the seventh grade. That is, until Henri befriends the Morgans. The Morgans (Lily, Ana, Vinnie, and Drew) are a group of foster children that Kat dislikes because Lily used to bully her. However, two of the other Morgans, Ana and Vinnie, are incredibly nice to Henri. Ana convinces Henri to try out for soccer, and Vinnie becomes Henri’s math tutor. 

Henri’s friendship with the Morgans creates a rift between Henri and the rest of her family. Henri’s parents don’t want her to play soccer because they want her to focus on school. To make matters worse, Kat won’t talk to Henri because Henri’s friends with Lily. Henri just wants to be accepted for who she is. She tries to be a good student and a good family member. Henri tries to juggle these new aspects of her life, but she needs the support of her family and friends.  

Henri is an incredibly likable character who always tries her best to please everyone. Henri’s conflicts are realistic and showcase the difficulties of navigating relationships in a way that wins her parents’ approval. Many students will relate to Henri as she wants to try new things and create her own path.  

As Henri becomes closer to Ana and Vinnie, she realizes that families are chosen. Even when Henri’s family has disputes, they still choose each other. Throughout the various characters’ dynamics, Davis creates vivid examples of different types of families. Some families are bound together by blood, while other families are formed through unconventional relationships. Henri realizes that families are meant to love and support each other. Henri compares families to a team, saying, “Each member is the glue that makes a team stick, all for one, together.” Like family members, each player has a different set of strengths and weaknesses. While the members of Henri’s team are all different, Henri’s team sticks together just like a family should. 

Figure It Out, Henri Weldon is told from a third-person perspective. This allows readers not only to see Henri’s struggles firsthand but also to gain a broader understanding of the other characters’ feelings.  Henri wants to maintain her friendship with the Morgans, but Kat believes “sisters [are] supposed to have each other’s backs, or at least be on the same team.” By using the third person, readers understand that Kat thinks sisters should always support each other, even if that means Henri has to give up her friendship. This highlights the complicated nature of relationships and shows that people are not always good or always bad.  

Henri’s relationship with the Morgan family creates an interesting contradiction. While Henri lives in a stable two-parent household, the four Morgans come from different backgrounds and are being raised by a foster parent named “Grandma Dot.” However, they choose to be a family, loving and supportive of each other. The Morgans sit together at lunch, support each other’s hopes and dreams, and go to all of Ana Morgan’s soccer games. On the other hand, Henri’s family does their own thing and often seems cold. Henri’s family doesn’t attend her soccer games or understand the type of love Henri needs to be successful. Figure It Out, Henri Weldon shows that traditional households do not create the mold of a true family.  

Henri’s seventh-grade struggles will be incredibly relatable to readers who have faced similar challenges, including family expectations, friendship drama, and change. Readers seeking genuine friends will connect with Henri’s struggles. Like Henri, all readers want to be accepted, and no one wants to be an outcast; however, no one wants to give up who they are just to be accepted. Henri isn’t like the rest of her family, but she still deserves their love and support. Everyone in this story learns what a true family is: a choice to support the ones you love.  

Sexual Content  

• None

Violence  

• None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

• None 

Language    

• There is some name-calling and hurtful teasing. For example, while Henri and Kat ride the bus to school, Lily Morgan picks on Kat, calling her “My Little Pony” and “Rainbow Pony, ” and saying, ” got that Big Bird sweater going on today. I like it.” 

Supernatural  

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• None