This novel for ages nine and up is the story of a resilient young girl who struggles as the daughter of an alcoholic father and an absentee mother. Left alone to fend for herself for days at a time, she is observed by a kind and compassionate saleswoman at the mall she retreats to every day after school to avoid going “home.” The saleswoman gains her trust and takes action into her own hands by reporting the girl’s situation to social services. She is placed in foster care, where she dreams of being reunited with her dad, despite the deprivations in her life with him. The relationship between the girl and her foster mother is painful, and the girl’s spirit disintegrates. Eventually, the saleswoman “adopts” the girl into her caring family, whose love and support enable her, finally, to believe in herself.
Age
Catalog sorted by age group
How My Summer Went Up In Flames
Placed under a temporary retstraining order for torching her former boyfriend’s car, seventeen-year-old Rosie embarks on a cross-country car trip from New Jersey to Arizona while waiting for her court appearance.
Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot
When a creative seven-year-old girl spots a blue china bird that she desperately wants, she forms an imaginative plan for getting it.
Rage Within
After the apocalypse wipes out most of the world’s population and unleashes an ancient evil, murderous Baggers begin to create a new world order and teenagers Aries, Clementine, Mason and Michael must learn how to trust and rely on each other in order to survive.
Curse Of The Chupacabra
Professor Rosa Medina, a folklorist researching the ChupaCabra, goes to Mexico to track down recent sightings of the creature which kills its victims, particularly goats, by sucking their brains out.
The Mystery
When the old man who lives in Rourke Castle dies mysteriously, troubletwister twins Jack and Jaide Shield find themselves drawn into a search for something hidden in the castle–something that The Evil wants desperately–but they have no idea what it is they seek.
Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party
Lovable worrywart Scaredy Squirrel would rather celebrate his birthday alone quietly in the safety of his nut tree and avoid any pesky party animals. But despite his detailed plans, things get out of control when the party animals arrive.
The Vine Basket
Life has been hard for fourteen-year-old Mehrigul, a member of the Uyghur tribal group scorned by the Chinese communist regime, so when an American offers to buy all the baskets she can make in three weeks, Mehrigul strives for a better future for herself and her family despite her father’s opposition.
Alice-Miranda Takes the Stage
There’s loads of drama in store for Alice-Miranda and her friends at boarding school.
Glasswings
Lost in the city, a butterfly with see-through wings makes friends with a ladybug, an ant, and a pigeon, and together they help flowers bloom and grow.