Eleven Kinds of Blue

An art-obsessed twelve-year-old learns to paint outside the lines to confront her fears and find her strength when her depressed mom's disastrous boyfriend moves in.

Twelve-year-old Margot Stafford is an observer and an artist, far different from her activist older brother and idol, Eli. She spends her time drawing and painting on her own and hanging out with her best friend, Suzanne. Her art class--taught by the eccentric Mr. Grunwald--is the one place where Margot can truly be herself. But even there, she holds on to worries about her depressed mother, whose boyfriend, JP, moves into their house and seems to change her mom in ways Margot can't understand.

JP becomes harsh and quick-tempered, and Eli is too busy to notice. For Margot, neither school nor home feels good right now. Trouble in Math class has forced her into an after-school tutoring program that she resents. And if all that weren't enough, Suzanne is drifting into another friend group and leaving Margot even more alone.

But the words of Mr. Grunwald give her confidence in her own art . . . and in her ability to recognize the beauty around her. A chance discovery in an abandoned art studio inspires Margot to follow a new path. Slowly, she finds that just as neglected artwork can be restored and celebrated . . . neglected people can be restored and celebrated, too.

The story of Margot brings to light the rich imagination of a child who finds herself adjacent to mental illness. With equal parts heartache and hope, this debut novel about one girl and her resilience is also a colorful picture of family love, even in the face of crisis.

Author: Katherine Wolff
Publisher: Holiday House
Published: 07/07/2026
Pages: 208
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.74lbs
Size: 8.41h x 5.41w x 0.91d
ISBN: 9780823459704
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
School Library Journal 04/01/2026 pg. 73
Kirkus Reviews 05/15/2026
Booklist 07/01/2026

About the Author
Katherine Wolff lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Over the years she has reviewed books for The New York Times, waitressed in Vermont, assisted art collectors in Seattle, deejayed in New Jersey, worked as a shopgirl in Vienna, edited encyclopedias in Pasadena, studied Great Books in Annapolis, and led walking tours in Boston. She has twin daughters. And a cat. Oh, and a husband, too. Eleven Kinds of Blue is her first book for children.