About this item
Highlights
- From Clementine author Sara Pennypacker, this is a poignant middle-grade novel about two foster children who must find a way to work together in order to survive.Eleven-year-old Stella misses her (unreliable) mom, but she loves it at great-aunt Louise's house.
- Iowa Children's Choice (ICCA) Award 2014 4th Winner
- 8-12 Years
- 7.5" x 5.0" Paperback
- 288 Pages
- Juvenile Fiction, Family
Description
About the Book
From the "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Clementine" comes a poignant middle-grade novel about two foster children who must find a way to work together in order to survive.Book Synopsis
From Clementine author Sara Pennypacker, this is a poignant middle-grade novel about two foster children who must find a way to work together in order to survive.
Eleven-year-old Stella misses her (unreliable) mom, but she loves it at great-aunt Louise's house. Louise lives on Cape Cod, where Stella hopes her mom will someday come and settle down. The only problem? Angel, the foster kid Louise has taken in. The two girls live together but there's no way they'll ever be friends.
Then Louise suddenly passes away one morning--and Stella and Angel decide not to tell anyone. Now they have to depend on each other for survival. Now they are forced to trust each other with the biggest secret ever.
With great empathy and humor, Sara Pennypacker tells the story of two very different girls who unexpectedly become each other's true family.
From the Back Cover
Secrets and Survival
Stella loves living with Great-aunt Louise in herbig old house on Cape Cod for many reasons, but mostly because Louise likes routines, somethingStella appreciates since her mom is kind of unreliable.So while Mom "finds herself," Stella fantasizes thatsomeday she'll come back to the Cape and settle down.The only obstacle to her plan? Angel, the foster kidLouise has taken in. Angel couldn't be less like hername--she's tough and prickly, and the girls hardlyspeak to each other.
But when tragedy strikes, Stella and Angel must relyon each other to survive, and they learn that they arestronger together than they could have imagined. Andthey discover the one thing they do have in common: dreams of finally belonging to a real family.
Review Quotes
★ "A suspenseful, surprising novel of friendship and family from the creator of the popular Clementine series." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
★ "Beautifully evoked, the novel's Cape Cod setting plays a focal role in this richly layered tale of loss, resiliency, and belonging." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Pennypacker is a Beverly Cleary-caliber girl-whisperer; she can weave a yarn both funny and touching, with all the beloved, timeworn themes at the ready: friendship, family, loyalty, loss and independence." -- New York Times Book Review
"Pennypacker's marvelously tactile writing animates Stella's narration and brings both engaging, resilient, and resourceful characters to life." -- School Library Journal
"Sara Pennypacker, author of the beloved Clementine series for younger readers, tells the story of two opposites who must find a way to work together to survive. While the situation may be extreme, young readers will relate to the challenges of having to work with people completely different from you." -- Brightly