Faced with a diagnosis of the rare Stargardt Disease, Mafalda struggles with not only losing her vision, but with her relationships with her parents, friends, classmates, and even her cat. This novel, written by an author with Stargardt Disease, highlights how a child copes with a disease that can take away her independence, relationships, and sense of self. While quite innocent and distraught over her condition, Mafalda makes meaningful connections in a heartbreaking and bittersweet story that will inspire readers to be resilient no matter the circumstances.

2020 Batchelder Honor.

Author lives in Italy.

Italy. Originally published in Italian as La distanza tra me e il ciliegio by Rizzoli in 2018. English translation by Denise Muir published in the United States by Atheneum Books for Young Readers in 2019.

Recipient of a Batchelder Honor

Ten-year-old Mafalda hides the fact that she is going blind from her family and friends in this lyrical, bittersweet debut novel from Italian author Paola Peretti that shows you how to overcome the darkness—even when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

There are a lot of things ten-year-old Mafalda cares a lot about. Like, counting the stars in the night sky, playing soccer, and climbing the cherry tree outside her school. Mafalda even goes so far as to keep a list of all these things, because soon she won’t be able to do them anymore—because she’s going blind.

Even with her bad eyesight Mafalda can see that people are already treating her differently—and that’s the last thing she wants. So, she hides the fact that her vision is deteriorating faster than anyone predicted, and she makes a plan: When the time is right, she’ll go live in the cherry tree, just like her favorite book character.

But as Mafalda loses her sight, surprising things come in to focus. With the help of her family and friends both old and new, Mafalda discovers the things that matter most.