Safe at Home. Mike Lupica. 2008. 196p. (Mike Lupica’s Comeback Kids). (gr 4-7). Philomel. Nick Crandall feels like he doesn’t belong anywhere. He never has felt like he belongs, really. He doesn’t fit in this new family with his new foster parents, both of whom are professors. They don’t know the first thing about sports—and he’s not exactly a model student. It’s only a matter of time until they realize he’s not the right kid for them. And Nick certainly doesn’t belong playing varsity baseball. He’s only twelve years old! His teammates want a catcher their own age, not some kid. But Nick needs to prove something. He needs to prove that he belongs—to his parents, to his team, and to himself.

Saffy’s Angel. Hilary McKay. 2001. 215p. (gr 5-7). Hodder Children’s Books (UK). Saffron’s two sisters, Cadmium and Rose, and her brother, Indigo, were all named from a color chart by their mother Eve, a fine-arts painter. When Saffron, known as Saffy, discovers that her name is not on the chart, it soon leads to another discovery. She has been adopted. Life in the Banana House, as their home is called, is never dull. Caddy, the eldest, is taking driving lessons from an instructor who happens to be a very attractive young man. Indigo dreams up ways, sometimes quite dangerous, to conquer fear. Rose, the youngest, has learned how to get her own way without upsetting the other. As for Saffy, all she remembers from when she was very small is a stone angel in a garden in Italy. With the help of a newfound friend, Saffy sets out on an adventurous and sometimes hilarious search for her angel. About the Author: Hilary McKay is the award-winning author of two picture books and several novels, including Dog Friday, The Amber Cat, and Dolphin Lunch. She lives with her family in Derbyshire, England.

Sam’s Sister. Juliet C Bond. Illustrated by Dawn Majewski. 2004. 48p. (gr ps-3). Perspectives Press. Rosa’s mother explains to her that she is pregnant with a child for whom she can’t provide. Instead, she knows of a couple who will “help us take care of the baby.” When the infant is born, Rosa and her mom get to pick Sam’s middle name—Querido, which means “wanted” in Spanish. After the adoptive parents take the newborn home from the hospital, they stay in touch with his birth family, who eventually visit the baby. Rosa misses him, but she knows that, “Sam is where he should be. And even though he doesn’t live with Mommy and me, we will always be part of his family.” The text is straightforward and sensitively written. The focus remains on Sam’s mother and sister, a valuable point of view. However, despite its attempt at directness and the respect it pays to this Latino family, the story feels circumspect. For instance, the word adoption is never used. While the close relationship Rosa and her mom continue to have with Sam and his new parents seems ideal, children may be confused about its exact nature. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are static though serviceable. Because this book does not provide background information on the complexities of adoption or advice on reference materials that could further aid readers, its usefulness is limited. — Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI, writig for School Library Journal. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Sandra Claus: A Tiny Gift to Santa Brings a New Tradition to Christmas. Douglas Clark Hollman. Illustrated by Frederick James Smith. 2002. 48p. (gr ps-5). Eumaeus Press. Early one Christmas morning, a tiny angel delivers a baby girl in a basket to the front door of Santa’s house at the North Pole. A gentle mouse named Rudy witnesses the angel deliver the basket and asks the angel what she is doing. The angel tells Rudy that the baby is her gift to Santa and Mrs. Claus, who have never had a child of their own. Santa and Mrs. Claus discover the baby girl, adopt her, and name her Sandra. Although she never grows to be very big, she wants to do big things. On a trip with Santa one Christmas Eve, Sandra and Rudy meet Axel, a farm cat who tells them that he gets grumpy at Christmas. Sandra figures out that Axel is grumpy because animals don’t gets presents on Christmas—only children do. Sandra decides to make presents for the animals. Rudy and Axel, who comes back to the North Pole with them, agree to help. With the help of the elves, they work hard throughout the following year to make presents for the animals, but they can’t figure out how to deliver them! As Christmas Eve comes around again, Sandra and her two friends sit out on the front steps to Santa’s house, feeling sad because they can’t figure out how to deliver the presents they have made to the animals. Just when they’re about to give up, the angel comes back to help them. She answers Sandra’s questions about where she came from, and creates a tiny sleigh for Sandra. Rudy finds out that he and his friends are mice-deer—mice who grow antlers on Christmas Eve so they can pull Sandra’s sleigh through the sky! From that point on, two sleighs leave the North Pole each Christmas Eve. Santa’s sleigh is filled with gifts for children and pulled by reindeer, while Sandra’s sleigh is filled with gifts for the animals and pulled by mice-deer.

Sara Elizabeth, an Adoption Story. Fran Ballengee. 2008. 24p. (gr ps-5). PublishAmerica. Sara Elizabeth, an Adoption Story explores how one young girl met her adoptive family with the help of her social worker. Adoption is described as being part of two families. The one that helps you to be born and one that takes care of you every day. Sara Elizabeth describes how she is similar and different to each family. She is also encouraged by her parents to think and talk about her birth family as she desires. The story ends with a family portrait, Sara standing with her parents, each with a loving picture of Sara’s birth mom in their hearts.

Satellite Down. Rob Thomas. 1998. 266p. (YA). Simon & Schuster. Thomas (Doing Time, 1997, etc.) writes an expos on Hollywood, stardom, and the broadcasting media in another hip, cutting-edge story of conflicted youth. Good-looking, wannabe journalist Patrick Sheridan’s coming-of-age begins when the high-school senior leaves the small-town, Bible-toting world of Doggett, Texas, to become an ace reporter for a direct-to-the-classroom news show (modeled after the real-life Channel One) in Los Angeles. Packing as much punch and as many plots as Chris Crutcher, Thomas takes Patrick through first love, first sex (with a television star), first experiences with drugs and getting drunk, as well as discovering the mystery behind his adoption (an estranged, also-adopted sister turns out to be his birth mother). These stories are set against the typically superficial backdrop of a slick news show where looks earn Patrick a high profile beneath the ten-gallon hat he’s made to wear. The Texas innocent soon experiences the disintegration of his ideals and beliefs; when Patrick lands in Ireland on assignment, he drops out of sight and wends his way to an ancestor’s hometown of Kilbeg. The final fifth of the book focuses on a more cynical Patrick searching for answers; it’s a little disappointing when he’s shipped back to Texas without enlightenment. Thomas covers a lot of territory, and Patrick’s journeys of the heart are as compelling as his sincere attempts to do the right thing, but readers should be prepared for a raw, ambiguous conclusion. — From Kirkus Reviews. Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Saving Marissa. Joan Holub. Illustrated by Ann Losa & Cheryl Kirk Noll. 2003. 128p. (Doll Hospital Series #4). (gr 4-7). Scholastic, Inc. Sisters Rose and Lila, ages 10 and 8, are spending the year with their grandmother (who runs a doll hospital) while their parents are working out of the country. Their grandmother has a special power to communicate with dolls, and to tell their stories. In this book, the girls visit a Shaker village and their grandmother tells them the story of Charlotte, a doll owned by a girl named Daisy. In 1832, Daisy’s family died in a cholera epidemic that hit New York. Daisy and Charlotte were sent to live with the Shakers, who often took in orphans, until Daisy was retrieved by an old family friend.

Scariest Night, The. Betty Ren Wright. 1991. 166p. (gr 3-7). Holiday House. A compelling summertime adventure. Erin Lindsay is definitely not looking forward to spending her vacation in Milwaukee. She and her family have arranged an extended stay so that her younger, adopted brother can take a master class in piano at the conservatory. Cowper, or Cowbird, as Erin is prone to call him, has ruined everything for her. And now she has nothing to look forward to—not even skateboarding, which, next to her love of horror and ghosts, is her passion. After making friends with her apartment building’s resident medium and her collection of talking dolls, Erin becomes involved in Molly Panca’s world and experiences the scariest night of her life. This winsome tale is moderately suspenseful, and the action builds at a measured pace. There are many tender moments that focus on Erin’s desire to be as perfect as the heroine of her favorite book. Her parents’ attention is focused on the adopted son and his musical genius, not on the child as a whole person. Many familial emotions with which children can identify abound throughout this well-told tale. — Jana R. Fine, Clearwater Public Library System, FL (School Library Journal)

Sea Chest, The. Toni Buzzeo. Illustrated by Mary GrandPré. 2002. 32p. (gr ps-3). Dial Books. As they wait for the arrival of a new baby, Maita tells her great-grandniece the story of her remarkable childhood. Living sheltered on a lighthouse island with only her parents for company, Maita always longed for a sibling-longed not to be the only child the ragged island knew. And then one icy night, howling winds blew wave after wave against the shore, and from that fearsome storm came a sea chest-a gift that would change Maita’s life forever. From a beguiling Maine legend, newcomer Toni Buzzeo has fashioned this exquisitely lyrical, intimate tale, illustrated in vibrant oil paintings by Mary GrandPré. Together they have created a book of classic beauty and resonance.

Search for Mary, The. Elisabeth Sheppard-Jones. Illustrated by Jane Paton. 1960. 249p. Nelson (UK). Because she was adopted, Mary sometimes felt she wasn’t wanted. One day she decides to run away, but her sister and a friend set off to find her.

Search for the Tiny Princess, The. Susie McWherter. Illustrated by Tom Tarpey Jr. 2008. 28p. (gr ps-3). RealityIsBooks.com, Inc. The struggles and triumphs of modern adoptions are explored through this classic fairy tale version of a real family’s journey. This charming story is sure to delight any reader, especially anyone who has experienced the joy of helping create a family. Based on one young child’s experience, this author captures the attention of all children, as well as parents. Every reader will be touched by this book’s celebration of family.

Searching for Love. Andrea Warren. 1987. (Sweet Dreams Special No 3). Bantam. Denise Lambert risks her relationship with her new boyfriend, Mike, to search for her unknown real mother, who had given her up for adoption at birth.

Second Best. Cheryl Lanham. 1997. 201p. (YA). Berkeley Pub Group. Meeting her birth mother for the first time, adopted teen Tessa is shocked to discover that she has an identical twin sister, who, to Tessa’s disappointment, is spoiled and moody and who drinks too much.

Second Choices. Shirley Brinkerhoff. 2000. 160p. (gr 6-8). Bethany House. The sixth and final book in the Nikki Sheridan series has all the ingredients of a paint-by-numbers problem novel. In the previous books Nikki became pregnant and gave her baby up for adoption. Now she must tell the baby’s father, who never knew about the pregnancy. She must also grapple with her parents’ recent divorce. To make matters worse, her current-events class is having heated discussions about abortion, drawing her into the crossfire; an episode of school violence nearly kills some of her close friends; and an ex-boyfriend attempts suicide. Too much? Yes, were it not for Nikki herself. Her recent conversion to Christianity has inspired her to make wiser choices and right past mistakes, and she now recognizes that moving ahead means forgiving herself and others. The heavy messages will probably turn off some readers, but others will find comfort in Nikki’s honest exploration of traditional Christian values. — Shelley Townsend Hudson. Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved.

Second Springtime, A. Gordon Cooper. 1973. 161p. (YA). Oxford University Press (UK). In the late 19th century, eleven-year-old Hester, who has lived in an English orphanage all her life, is adopted by a settler family in Nova Scotia. Gordon Cooper well captures the atmosphere and feelings involved. A book for children but one which will probably strike a chord with many present day Canadian adults who went through this experience in reality in 1940.

Secret Garden, The. Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924). 1911. 375p. Frederick A Stokes Co. Mary Lennox has no one left in the world when she arrives at Misselthwaite Manor, her mysterious uncle’s enormous, drafty mansion looming on the edge of the moors. A cholera epidemic has ravaged the Indian village in which she was born, killing both her parents and the “Ayah,” or Indian servant, who cared for her. Not that being alone is new to her. Her socialite mother had no time between parties for Mary, and her father was both too ill and too occupied by his work to raise his daughter. Not long after coming to live with her uncle, Mr. Craven, Mary discovers a walled garden, neglected and in ruins. Soon she meets her servant Martha’s brother Dickon, a robust country boy nourished both by his mother’s love and by the natural surroundings of the countryside; and her tyrannical cousin Colin, whose mother died giving birth to him. So traumatized was Mr. Craven by the sudden death of his beloved wife that he effectively abandoned the infant Colin and buried the keys to the garden that she adored. His son has grown into a self-loathing hypochondriacal child whose tantrums strike fear into the hearts of servants. The lush garden is now overgrown and all are forbidden to enter it. No one can even remember where the door is, until a robin leads Mary to its hidden key. It is in the “secret garden,” and with the help of Dickon, that Mary and Colin find the path to physical and spiritual health. Along the way the three children discover that in their imaginations—called “magic” by Colin—is the power to transform lives. About the Author: Frances Eliza Hodgson was born on November 24, 1849, in Manchester, England, the third of Edwin Hodgson’s and Eliza Boond’s five children. Her father ran a prosperous firm which specialized in the trade of decorative arts for the interiors of houses. At the time, Manchester was experiencing a textile boom which infused the town with a rising middle-class, and because these families were erecting magnificent houses, Hodgson’s merchandise was in demand. The prosperity of the Hodgson family was cut short in 1854 when Edwin suffered a stroke. Even more devastating to the family fortune was the American Civil War, which caused a cessation of cotton shipments from Southern plantations, crippling Manchester’s economy. Eliza Hodgson decided to emigrate to America, and in 1865, when Burnett was sixteen, the family settled in a small town about twenty-five miles from Knoxville, Tennessee. This move would prove instrumental in Burnett’s development as a writer. Although she had always been obsessed with storytelling and often amused her schoolmates by acting out tales of adventure and romance, the financial strain of the emigration caused her to turn to writing as a means of supplementing the family’s income. The move from industrial England to rural America was for the family a journey to the green, natural world that would become a central theme in many of Burnett’s later works, including The Secret Garden. By the Same Auhtor: Little Lord Fauntleroy, among others.

Secret of Me, The: A Novel in Verse. Meg Kearney. 2005. 128p. (gr 7 up). Persea. Being adopted is a fact of life in the McLane household: fourteen-year-old Lizzie, as well as her older brother and sister were adopted as infants. But dry facts rarely encompass feelings, and what it feels like to be adopted is something Lizzie never dares openly discuss with her loving parents—let alone with outsiders. More and more Lizzie yearns to confide in others, especially her boyfriend, Peter. But something stops her. Will Peter think she is “less” because her birthmother gave her away? Would telling be disloyal to her adoptive parents? Told entirely through the poems Lizzie writes for herself, this intimate, moving story gives voice to the thoughts Lizzie cannot utter aloud. Lizzie transforms relationships and events in her daily life—family dinners, the school dance, hanging out with friends—into blues poems, list poems, sonnets, sestinas, and free verse that delve into her secret wishes and her fears. Often Lizzie feels like two people: the person everyone knows, and the one known to precious few. But when a tragic accident occurs, Lizzie finds the courage to say who she truly is and to set off on a new path of self-discovery and truth. In an Afterword the author discusses her own experience as an adopted child and how writing can help make sense of one’s life. Also included are a Guide to Poetic Forms and an Appendix of Poems (poems referred to in the novel, by Lucille Clifton, Hayden Carruth, Anne Sexton, Donald Hall, and others). About the Author: Meg Kearney is the Associate Director of the National Book Foundation. She was the recipient of a 2001 Artist’s fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts, as well as a fellowship to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She also received a New York Times fellowship and the Alice M. Sellers Academy of American Poets Prize in 1998. She lives in New York City. By the Same Author: An Unkindness of Ravens.

Secret of the Old Graveyard, The. Susan Kimmel Wright. 1993. 184p. (gr 4-8). Herald Press. Nellie’s parents are constantly embarrassing her with their peculiar behavior. Looking like refugees from the hippie generation, they’re vegetarians, live on a farm, and now, as if those things aren’t enough to set a 13-year-old apart from the crowd, they are adopting a baby from Colombia. Nellie feels she will never impress good-looking Rick Keppler, whose family is so normal. Moreover, something strange is going on in the old graveyard on her family’s property-a place that has always been Nellie’s refuge. Support from her loving family and strong, close-knit, Christian community enable Nellie to solve the mystery and accept the adoption of her new brother, realizing that, in spite of their differences, God’s love binds everyone together. A page-turning mystery, combined with some gentle spiritual guidance, makes this a good choice for those looking for recreational reading infused with traditional Christian values.— Sharon Grover, Arlington County Department of Libraries, VA (School Library Journal)

Secret Simon. Jean Ure. 1999. 155p. (gr 4-7). (Foster Family #4). Hodder Children’s Books. Abi and Sam argue sometimes but they agree on one thing—boys are gross. Well, most of them, the Radish doesn’t count, he’s only little. Then Simon arrives and everything changes. He’s drop-dead gorgeous and can charm the birds out of the trees. But Sam doesn’t trust him. Nobody’s that perfect!

Secrets. Alane Ferguson. 1997. (gr 4-7). Simon & Schuster. On one of his frequent trips to the zoo, T.J. meets a woman who turns out to be his biological mother and as he gets to know her and his sister over the course of the summer, he must chose between his new-found family and the man who adopted him twelve years ago.

Seer of Shadows, The. Avi. 2008. 208p. (gr 4-7). HarperCollins. From Kirkus Reviews: In 1870s New York, at the intersection of scientific advances in photography and post-Civil War superstition, sentimentality and mourning, Horace’s father apprentices him to a spirit photographer. He discovers that, while his employer is a swindler, Horace himself is a "seer" on whose photographs genuine ghostly images appear. In this way, he discovers the ghost of a young heiress whose ill treatment at the hands of her adoptive parents has led to her death. When her angry spirit returns seeking revenge, Horace tries to put her ghost to rest and save lives. Avi portrays a complex main character who is torn between his impulse toward honesty and rational thought, his love of the new technology of photography and his need for employment. This tale proves that the time-honored ghost story, capably researched, well-paced and fusing the Gothic elements of mystery, madness and romance, can still thrill in the hands of a skilled craftsman. About the Author: Avi is the author of the Newbery Medal-winning Crispin: The Cross of Lead and the Newbery Honor Books Nothing But the Truth and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. He also writes the beloved Poppy stories, an animal adventure series that includes Ragweed; Poppy, winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award; Poppy and Rye; Ereth's Birthday; Poppy's Return; and Poppy and Ereth. His many other critically acclaimed books include Don't You Know There's a War On?, the hilarious animal fantasy The Mayor of Central Park, and the Victorian ghost story The Seer of Shadows. Avi lives in Denver, CO.

Sensible Kate. Doris Gates (1901-1987). Illustrated by Marjorie Torrey. 1943. 189p. Viking. Kate Summers, having red hair and freckles, didn’t think of herself as being cute and pretty, so she needed, she felt, to at least be sensible. This is the story of how Kate spent the summer as a “family helper” at the California seaside home of Christopher and Nora Tuttle, and what she learned about the world and herself in those few short months. About the Author: Doris Gates was director of the children’s department at Fresno County (CA) Free Library.

Sent. Margaret Peterson Haddix. 2009. 320p. (Missing Series #2). (gr 4-7). Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Thirteen-year-olds Jonah and Chip are reeling from the news that they’re both missing children from history, kidnapped from their proper time period. Before they can fully absorb this revelation, a time purist named JB zaps Chip and another boy, Alex, back to the fifteenth century, where they supposedly belong. Determined not to lose their friends, Jonah and his sister, Katherine, grab Chip’s arms just as he’s being sent away. The result? Jonah and Katherine also end up in the fifteenth century, where they decidedly do not belong. Chip’s true identity is Edward V, king of England, and Alex is his younger brother, Richard, Duke of York. But Chip is convinced that his uncle, Richard of Gloucester, plans to kill them and seize the throne for himself. JB promises that if the kids can “fix time,” he will allow them to return to the present day. But how can they possibly return home safely when history claims that Chip and Alex were murdered? In a riveting tale that climaxes on the battlefield at Bosworth, master storyteller Margaret Peterson Haddix brings readers back in time to an unforgettable moment in history and plunges them into the adventure of a lifetime. About the Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix is the author of many critically and popularly acclaimed teen and middle-grade novels, all published by S&S. She lives in Powell, OH, with her husband and two children. A graduate of Miami University (of Ohio), she worked for several years as a reporter for The Indianapolis News. She also taught at the Danville (Illinois) Area Community College. By the Same Author: Found (Missing Series #1) (2008).

Seven Years From Home: Struggle to Find His Real Parents. Rose Blue. Illustrated by Barbara Ericksen. 1976. 58p. (gr 5-7). Raintree Editions. An adopted boy’s struggle to find his “real” parents and himself.

Shaoey & Dot: Bug Meets Bundle. Mary Beth & Steven Curtis Chapman. Illustrated by Jim Chapman. 2004. 32p. (gr ps-3). Tommy Nelson. Shaoey & Dot: Bug Meets Bundle is an endearing tale told from the point of view of one little ladybug, Dot, who happens upon a mysterious bundle one sunny day. Dot stays with the little bundle as she is carried to the place where babies come to be found and promises to stay with the little one throughout her journeys toward getting a family. Written by Christian music artist Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth, this heartwarming tale is inspired by the true story of their adoption of three little girls from China and is a story of hope and faith for all families who have been blessed by a lost little bundle of love.

Sharing Susan. Eve Bunting. 1991. 122p. (gr 5-8). HarperCollins. Folloing a tragic accident in which a child is killed, 12-year-old Susan is shocked to find that she was switched with another baby in the hospital. The four parents, with their lawyers, draw up an agreement: after an introductory weekend with everyone there, Susan will alternate between the two couples, with the coming school year to be spent with her true biological parents, [1994 paperback reprint edition pictured at left].

Shark Beneath the Reef. Jean C George. 1991. 192p. (gr 7 up). Harper Collins Children’s Books. In some ways this is a successful book, painting a warm picture of an extended Mexican family and giving a vivid picture of the setting. It offers considerable information about ocean creatures—but, unfortunately, this often interrupts the flow of the narrative. ... The plot, too, is more creaky than George’s structures usually are, as Tomas repeatedly almost encounters the predatory hammerhead shark he erroneously assumes to be a whale shark. ... By the time there is an encounter, it is almost an anticlimax. Fortunately, other plot developments offer surcease, as Tomas and his family bow to the inevitability of change from traditional patterns and life-style, but the two plot facets, while they impinge on each other, never coalesce. — Zena Sutherland, Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books; Copyright 1983 The H.W. Wilson Company. All rights reserved.

Shayla’s Double Brown Baby Blues. Lori Aurelia Williams. 2001. 304p. (gr 7-9). Simon & Schuster. Thirteen-year-old Shayla has never thought much of her estranged father, the silver-tongued Mr. Anderson Fox. And she thinks even less of the new baby girl he has fathered named Gift (“I don’t think that she’s a present.”) Jealous and angry that “once again Mr. Anderson Fox has tracked sadness into our house on the sole of his shiny leather shoe,” Shayla tries to take her mind off her baby blues by spending more time with her best friend Kambia Elaine and flirting with Lemm, the cute new boy in the ’hood. But she soon discovers that each of them are nursing their own troubles. Kambia is receiving awful anonymous reminders of her former abusive home that cause her mind to “run away from her like folks do from Casper the Friendly Ghost,” and Lemm is struggling with a terrible family secret that he tries to cover up with alcohol and fast talk. As she strives to help them both, Shayla painfully learns that friendship has its limits and that the maturity she longs for comes with a price. Lori Aurelia Williams has more tightly focused this sophomore follow-up to her critically acclaimed, yet somewhat rambling first novel, When Kambia Elaine Flew In from Neptune. With Shayla’s Double Brown Baby Blues, Williams sticks closer to the plot, while continuing to write Shayla’s first-person voice in the signature lyrical style that made Kambia Elaine so unforgettable. To borrow a quote from the vivid wordsmith Williams herself, this poignant sequel is like “thinking you had eaten the last cherry Jolly Rancher out of the bag and then opening it and finding two more.” — Jennifer Hubert

Shelter for a Seabird. Terry Farish. 1990. 163p. (gr 7-12). Greenwillow. From Publishers Weekly: After spending time in a shelter for pregnant teens, having a baby and giving her up for adoption, 16-year-old Andrea Tagg returns to her home, on a remote island off New York’s Long Island, a different person. She finds it difficult to settle into her old way of life with her parents and friends, who act as if nothing has happened. Andrea carries her grief privately until she strikes up an unlikely friendship with a visitor, a young soldier gone AWOL. Andrea has always despised people like Swede Stuhr, the son of wealthy tourists, yet in spite of herself she becomes intimately involved with this lonely stranger. Without passing judgment on Andrea’s decisions, this thoughtful story focuses on the changes she confronts during the aftermath of her ordeal. Showing rather than telling her characters’ emotions, Farish ( Why I’m Already Blue ) relays the native islanders’ close ties to their land, their resentment of intruders and their pragmatic approach to life. Although some may feel that this subtle novel is too leisurely paced, those who seek a quiet, contemplative read will find the gradual, realistic unraveling of events highly effective. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

2005 Edition

Shoe Box, The. Francine Rivers. 1999. 112p. (2005. 32p.) (gr 1-5). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Author Francine Rivers once created her own “God Box” for talking with God. Whenever something was bothering her she would write a prayer about it and slip it in her decorated cardboard box. It was this personal God Box that gave her the idea for writing this compelling Christmas story about a foster child named Timmy whose only valued possession is a shoebox. His foster parents, a young Christian couple, are of course curious about this 6-year-old’s mysterious box. What could be inside? But knowing that his privacy is one of the few things Timmy has left, they decide not to pry. Rivers uses the backdrop of Timmy’s foster family, church community, and the dedication of his birth mother to illustrate what Christian faith can do. The Christmas pageant finale is a true heart warmer for all believers. About the Author: Francine Rivers has been writing for more than twenty years. From 1976 to 1985 she had a successful writing career in the general market and won numerous awards. Although raised in a religious home, Francine did not truly encounter Christ until later in life, when she was already a wife, a mother of three, and an established romance novelist. After becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Francine wrote Redeeming Love as her statement of faith. Since then, Francine has published numerous books in the CBA market and has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty. Her novel The Last Sin Eater won the ECPA Gold Medallion, and three of her books have won the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA Award. Francine says she uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life. Francine Rivers began her literary career at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and journalism. Francine and her husband, Rick, live in Northern California and enjoy the time spent with their three grown children and every opportunity to spoil their grandchildren.

Sign of the Twisted Candles, The. Carolyn Keene (pseudonym). 1933. 217p. (A Nancy Drew Mystery). Grosset & Dunlap. The second of three novels by ghostwriter Walter Karig (Karig wrote the manuscript based upon an outline by Harriet S. Adams, who edited and significantly rewrote the book; see also, “About ‘Caolyn Keene,’” below), this entry in the Nancy Drew Mysteries series focuses on Nancy encountering a 100 year old man at “The Sign of the Twisted Candles,” a roadside Inn and restaurant. Nancy, Bess and George seek afternoon tea there while waiting out a storm; Nancy’s roadster has “wet engine.” They encounter Asa Sidney, celebrating his 100th birthday, and the pathetic maid/waitress, mistreated by her parents, Frank and Emma Jemmit. Nancy discovers that Mr. Sidney is an elderly relative of Bess and George, and her willingness to communicate with him launches a family feud upon his death a few days later—and leaves her chumless, as the cousins won’t see her. Sadie is named as the major benefactoress, and Nancy must prove that Frank and Emma Jemmit have misappropriated property. Relatives of Sidney and his wife fight over the money, getting in on the action. Nancy also must discover why Asa was interested in the young woman. While investigating, Nancy is reunited with her friends, and later, in the climax, is nearly killed by being pushed from a ladder against a tower window. Sadie’s true identity is discovered, as are a number of inventions awaiting patent from Sidney, and securities. The family feud is resolved due to Nancy’s discoveries. About “Carolyn Keene” Carolyn Keene is a pen name that was used by many different people—both men and women—over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym to assure anonymity of the creator. Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister. While Harriet is often credited as Carolyn Keene, several other authors assumed the pseudonym of Caroyn Keene. Starting in 1953, Harriet authored 24 volumes. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten. Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Mildred Wirt Benson, who created 23 novels, including the first three Nancy Drew novels. The role of writing under the Carolyn Keene pseudonym passed temporarily to Walter Karig, who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew’s prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.

Signed Ball. Mark T Fidler. 2002. 148p. (gr 7-9). Writers Club Press. More than anything, eight-year-old Jimmy Jarvis wants a baseball autographed by his favorite major league player, and he is willing to do almost anything to get it. Jimmy has another wish, too. After living in six different foster homes in six years, Jimmy wants a family that will be his forever. But will he risk a chance at a real home for the ball of his dreams? About the Author: Mark Fidler is a high school teacher and lives with his wife and three sons in Waltham, MA.

Silver Spoon of Solomon Snow, The. Kaye Umansky. 2005. 304p. (gr 4-8). Candlewick. In a wretched hovel at the top of a moor lives a boy named Solomon Snow. Each day he slaves for Ma and Pa Scubbins’s laundry service, and each night he slurps down a bowl of vegetable slop, wishing only for the luxury of a spoon. Imagine poor Solly’s surprise when he learns that he’s actually a flounder—er, foundling—dumped ten years ago on the Scubbinses’ doorstep in a (laundry) basket, with a silver spoon right in his mouth! The utensil was long ago pawned by Pa, but that doesn’t stop Solly from setting out in search of his spoon, his real parents, and his rightful inheritance. Joining him on his quest are a pair of unlikely companions: a bossy, pointy-nosed writer named Prudence and the insufferable Infant Prodigy, a circus performer with some well-practiced tricks up her sleeve. Will Solly finally locate his spoon, and have to wear velvet pantaloons? Prepare for a preposterous ending sure to surprise and delight the Intelligent Reader as much as it does our intrepid hero. About the Author: Kaye Umansky taught in elementary schools for twelve years, specializing in music and drama. In her spare time, she sang and played keyboards with a semi-professional soul band. Now a full-time author, Kaye Umansky has written many delightful and humorous books for young readers. She says, “A while ago, I went on a ‘re-read Charles Dickens binge.’ Inspired, I cried, ‘I can do that!’ I couldn’t. What came out was Solomon Snow.” She lives in London.

Skye’s Final Test. Marsha Hubler. 2005. 112p. (gr 5-8). Zonderkidz. Her foster parents have opened Keystone Stables this summer to a visiting group of kids with special needs, and Skye—once an angry, needy teen herself—will help mentor them. It’s a real test of her growing maturity. She’s really annoyed with one of them: Joey is an outgoing and friendly Down syndrome kid who took a liking to Skye right away. She’s both embarrassed and furious when he calls her his girlfriend, and treats him harshly when others aren’t around. But when his horse comes up lame on the day of a major competition, Skye is faced with a big decision: will she continue to push him away or show him God’s love? About the Author: Marsha Hubler is a homeschool consultant and evaluator and educator specializing in elementary education and learning disabilities. She and her husband, Richard, were foster parents for more than eleven years to countless children. They live in Middleburg, PA. By the Same Author: The Trouble With Skye (2004); and A True Test For Skye (2004); and The Winning Summer (2005).

Skymaze. Gillian Rubinstein. 1991. 240p. (gr 5 up). Orchard Books. A group of children explore a video-game maze that suddenly becomes real and dangerous and forces them to face their personal problems.

Slant. Laura E Williams. 2008. 149p. (YA). Milkweed Editions. Thirteen-year-old Lauren, a Korean American adoptee, is best friends with the prettiest—and tallest—girl in the school, Julie, who has an endless amount of confidence. Lauren, on the other hand, has been saving for years to pay for a special eye surgery that will deepen the crease of her eyelids. It’s not that she wants to look like everyone else in her suburban Connecticut school; she’d just be happy if kids stopped calling her “slant”; and “gook.” Up until now she’s been able to ignore the insults, but when the cutest boy in her class calls her “slant,” she realizes she needs to do something about her “nickname.” When she convinces her reluctant father to consent to the eye operation, Lauren suddenly finds herself faced with a challenge: should she get the operation that might make her more confident and popular, or can she find that confidence within herself? Laura Williams’ sensitive, beautifully written story offers a powerful lesson to young readers whose self-esteem depends too much on how they look.

Slippery Slope, The. Lemony Snicket. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. 2003. 352p. (A Series of Unfortunate Events #10). (gr 4-7). HarperCollins. What would you do if you found yourself trapped in a runaway caravan hurtling down a precipitous mountain slope? Fourteen-year-old Violet, the oldest orphan of the three Baudelaires, decides to try to slow the velocity of the caravan with a drag-chute invention involving a viscous combination of blackstrap molasses, maple syrup, maraschino liqueur, peanut butter, etc. If plummeting to their death weren’t scary enough, Violet and her brother Klaus have been separated from Sunny, their baby sister who is in a car headed in the opposite direction up the mountain with the “facinorous” Count Olaf, his “villainous and stylish” girlfriend Esmé Squalor, and their creepy sidekicks. Do Violet and Klaus find Sunny on the mountain? How will they survive the treacherous, snow-covered peaks with not much more than a ukulele and a bread knife, especially in the face of the “organized, ill-tempered” snow gnats? Will they finally unearth the mystery of the V.F.D.? Will they find out if one of their parents is alive after all? The suspense! As ever, the Baudelaires’ unfolding tale of woe is sprinkled with Lemony Snicket’s ridiculous, hilarious observations such as, “Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don’t always like.” The tenth book in The Series of Unfortunate Events takes readers through the Mortmain Mountains to the churning waters of the Stricken Stream with all the coexistent horror and silliness a Snicket fan could hope for along the way. — Karin Snelson

Smith Family’s New Puppy, The: Helping Children Cope with a New Family Member. Dana Smith-Mansell. Illustrated by Kathy Voerg. 2008. 48p. (gr ps-3). New Hoeizon Press. Meet the Smiths: a happy family composed of two dogs, one cat, and two humans. But when the humans decide to adopt a dog named Trevor from the humane society, the other pets become sad, clingy, jealous, and afraid. Will Trevor get all the humans’ time and attention? Who will play with the other pets, or snuggle them when they’re lonely and blue? This comforting story about the arrival of a new family member reassures soon-to-be big brothers and sisters that sharing love means more love for everyone, not less love for them.

First UK Edition

First US Edition

Snake-Stone, The. Berlie Doherty. 1995. 160p. (YA). Hamish Hamilton Ltd (UK). Although he is close to his adoptive parents, 15-year-old James has always wondered about his natural mother and why she gave him away. The only clues to her identity are a small stone and a note scribbled on the back of an envelope. With these, James sets off to find his past.

Solace of the Road. Siobhan Dowd. 2009. 272p. (gr 7 up). David Fickling Books. Memories of mum are the only thing that make Holly Hogan happy. She hates her foster family with their too-nice ways and their false sympathy. And she hates her life, her stupid school, and the way everyone is always on at her. Then she finds the wig, and everything changes. Wearing the long, flowing blond locks she feels transformed. She’s not Holly anymore, she’s Solace: the girl with the slinkster walk and the supersharp talk. She’s older, more confident—the kind of girl who can walk right out of her humdrum life, hitch to Ireland, and find her mum. The kind of girl who can face the world head-on. So begins a bittersweet and sometimes hilarious journey as Solace swaggers and Holly tiptoes across England and through memory, discovering her true self and unlocking the secrets of her past.

Solo Girl. Andrea Davis Pinkney. Illustrated by Nneka Bennett. 1997. 64p. (gr ps-3). Hyperion Books for Children. Fron School Library Journal: A story that conveys several important messages. African-American third-grader Cass and her twin brothers, Jackson and Bud, have moved to a new neighborhood to live with their foster mother. While the boys find friends and quickly adjust to their new surroundings, Cass feels alone and misses her friends. Although smart, particularly in math, she cannot jump rope and envies four girls who can. However, she is taken in by the closely knit community in which neighbors look out for one another, and kindness is the watch word. In exchange for jump-rope lessons, Cass helps one of the girls pass her summer school math class. After demonstrating her newfound jumping skills, Cass is befriended by the group she once envied. In the process, she is given support by her brothers and gains community acceptance and some much needed confidence. Cass is a lively, sensitive girl, and young readers will relate to her problems. With its large print and short chapters, this story is ideal for children making the transition from beginning readers to chapter books. — Carol Jones Collins, Montclair Kimberley Academy, NJ

Somebody Else’s Child. Roberta Silman. Illustrated by Chris Conover. 1976. 64p. Frederick Warne & Co. As a result of his friendship with his school bus driver, Peter gains a greater understanding of what it means to be adopted.

Someone Else’s Baby. Geraldine Kaye. 1992. 138p. (gr 7 up). Hyperion. Seventeen-year-old Terry Browning has a problem. She is pregnant and doesn’t know who the father is. But the big, tough question remains: Will she keep the baby or put it up for adoption? Her strict parents demand that she give up the child or move out. Then another teenage mom says maybe they can both rent a room and raise their babies together. As Terry writes her thoughts down in a series of notebooks, hoping her baby will see it one day, she considers the most important question of her life and comes to realize some very important lessons about responsibility, honesty, and unconditional love.etc.

Someone Like You. Sarah Dessen. 1998. 272p. (gr 7 up). Viking. Dessen’s realistic portrayal of contemporary teens and their moral challenges breathes fresh life into well-worn themes of rebellion and first love. Halley has always been close to her mother, a therapist who publishes books about adolescent behavior. But the summer before her junior year of high school, Halley begins cutting the umbilical cord. She and her best friend, Scarlett, start hanging out with Ginny Tabor (“a cheerleader with a wild streak a mile wide and a reputation among the football team for more than her cheers and famous midair splits”); Halley dumps her nerdy boyfriend (the son of her mother’s best friend) and becomes involved with reckless Macon, a boy her parents have forbidden her to see. Then Scarlett discovers she is pregnant two months after her boyfriend Michael is killed in a motorcycle accident. Walking a line between childhood and adulthood, the two girls turn to each other instead of their families for support. Together they explore the meaning of love, sex and responsibility. This romance/coming-of-age story is not as tightly written as Dessen’s debut, That Summer; it suffers from some scenes reminiscent of soap opera and from flat presentations of almost all the adult characters. But Dessen’s fully developed characterizations of charismatic teens, particularly the rebel-without-a-cause-type Macon, are sure to attract readersAespecially those who, like Halley, have felt the urge to take a walk on the wild side. Dessen’s two novels, Someone Like You and That Summer, served as inspiration for the film How to Deal, starring Mandy Moore.

Someone Named Eva. Joan M Wolf. 2007. 208p. (gr. 5-7). Clarion Books. From Kirkus Reviews: Nazis came to Milada’s village in Czechoslovakia and tore families apart. The men and older boys were shot, Milada found out later, and the women were sent to the Ravensbruck concentration camp near Berlin. But Milada’s family is not Jewish, and Milada’s fate is to be transported to Poland and later to Germany to be “Germanized,” as part of the Lebensborn program of kidnapping non-Jewish, non-German children with blonde hair and blue eyes and retraining them to become good Germans. Given a new name, trained in the German language and adopted by a German family, Milada-now Eva-struggles to retain her true identity. This little-known side of the Nazi era will fascinate young readers. Milada is a well-drawn character who resists “repatriation” and dreams of returning home. An important addition to the Holocaust curriculum. About the Author: Joan M. Wolf is an elementary and middle school teacher at Valentine Hills Elementary School, Arden Hills, MN. Her research for Someone Named Eva took her to the Czech Republic, where her great-grandmother was born.

Someone to Love. Francess Lin Lantz. 1997. 247p. (YA). Avon. Although at odds with her parents over their decision to adopt a baby, fifteen-year-old Sarah finds herself drawn to the birth mother, who is having second thoughts about giving up her child.

Something Old, Something New. Judy Baer. 1991. 142p. (Cedar River Daydreams #11). Bethany House Publishers.

Sorta Sisters, The. Adrian Fogelin. 2007. 288p. (gr. 4-7). Peachtree Publishers. Anna Casey likes living in Florida with Miss Johnette, her foster mother. Best of all Miss Johnette wants to adopt Anna. Still, it is hard grow into a new life and a new school, when you’ve been rootless nearly all of your life. By chance, Anna starts up a correspondence with Mica, who lives on a sailboat with The Captain, her beloved but often absent father. But beneath the surface of Mica’s exotic, footloose lifestyle is a similar sense of longing to belong to some place and someone. Then Mica gets good news: her father plans to anchor the boat in Florida Keys for a year. Now she can go to school just like other kids. But her long-distance friendship with Anna gets off track when Mica makes a school friend. And just when Anna is feeling shut out by Mica, she suddenly has to share Miss Johnette s attention with Mr. Webster, a new suitor. When the Captain’s parenting style is finally deemed unfit, it may be that Anna and Miss Johnette are the only ones who can help Mica. About the Author: Adrian Fogelin is the author of several novels for middle readers and young adults. She lives in Florida.

Soun Tetoken: Nez Perce Boy Tames a Stallion. Kenneth Thomasma. Illustrated by Eunice Hundley. 1984. 190p. (Amazing Indian Children Series). Grandview Publishing Co. Although mute since the death of his parents in a fire, a young Nez Perce Indian boy has a happy and adventurous life with his adopted family until the growing conflict between the white man and the Indians erupts into war in the summer of 1877 and changes his life forever.

Special Kind of Love, A. Judy Baer. 1993. 126p. (YA). Bethany House. Lexi’s friend Jennifer Golden decides to plan a surprise party for her parents’ anniversary. But nothing prepares Jennifer for the secret she uncovers surrounding her own birth. Now Lexi and her friends must help Jennifer cope with her anger, shock and confusion.

Spell is Cast, A. Eleanor Cameron. Illustrated by Beth and Joe Krush. 1964. 271p. Little Brown. Tarnhelm. The very name of the great old house on the cliffs beside the Pacific Ocean spells hope and mystery. Here, with Uncle Dirk and his mother, Cory Winterslow will surely find a home. But when she arrives from the East there is no one to meet her at the airport. The strange old woman who offers her a ride to Tarnhelm is prying, and the things she says about Uncle Dirk are disturbing. It is Peter, a resourceful neighbor boy, who leads Cory over treacherous cliffs to the door of Tarnhelm, and the Scottish caretakers, Fergie and Andrew make her welcome.

Stained. Joanne Hichens. 2008. 200p. (Cutting Edge series). Ransom (UK). In a poor district on the outskirts of Cape Town, Grace lives with her adoptive mother. Of mixed race, Grace dreams about what her birth mother is like and is plagued by a deep sense of not belonging. She turns to close friend Shardonnay and her sister, Crystal, a teenage mom. Through Grace as observer, Stained explores themes of incest, child abuse, and post-natal depression, culminating in Crystal’s murder of her own baby. Cutting Edge is a gritty quick-read series for teens and young adults who find conventional fiction irrelevant to them or too hard to read. The new titles in the series tackle contemporary issues such as gun crime, incest, domestic violence, alcohol abuse and mental illness. Packed with drama and emotion from one page to the next, readers will be truly compelled by these gripping and satisfying stories. Carefully chosen fonts, simple layout and controlled vocabulary help carry readers from beginning to end without any hint of chore-factor creeping in. About the Author: Joanne Hichens has her Honours degrees in both Fine Art and Psychology, as well as a Master’s degree in Creative Writing. She has written youth literature and lives in Cape Town.

Star, The: A Story to Help Young Children Understand Foster Care. Cynthia Miller Lovell. Illustrated by Angie J Przystas. 1999. 18p. (gr ps-3). Roger Owen Rossman. The Star: A Story to Help Young Children Understand Foster Care is an easy-to-read, short story with beautiful watercolor illustrations. The book follows a fictional young girl, Kit, who is taken from her mother to the safety, and different world, of a foster home. On Kit’s first night in foster care, she becomes friends with a star outside her bedroom window. The star tells Kit about other foster children it has seen. Throughout the story, the star is a source of comfort for Kit as she experiences many emotions and adjusts to all the new things in her foster home. To get the most out of this book, the author recommends looking at Questions & Activities for The Star: A Handbook for Foster Parents (at right). About the Author: Cynthia Miller Lovell is a pediatric nurse practitioner and has been a foster mother to preschool children. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Kalamazoo College and a master’s degree in nursing from Yale University.

Star Named Little One, A. AJ Dukovich. Illustrated by Matthew Pride. 2006. 22p. (gr ps). Lifevest Publishing, Inc. A Star Named Little One introduces the concept of adoption to pre-school age children. The story begins with a Star in heaven and ends with a little one in the arms of his/her parents. The brevity allows children to ask questions as they begin to understand and parents to answer with age appropriate detail. Available in two versions, one for boys and one for girls.

Starlight Baby, The. Gillian Shields. Illustrated by Elizabeth Harbour. 2006. 32p. (gr ps-3). Simon & Schuster. From Kirkus Reviews: Shields offers a gentle little tale that can be read as an adoption story or one about the most basic kind of mother love. A baby in a garment of leaves cries, lying among the grasses and flowers, and calls to the stars, “can you love me? Will you be my mother?” But the stars don’t answer. The babe inquires of the silver moon, of the west wind and the trees, and even of the stream and the wolf, beseeching each to hold or warm or protect, but each either refuses or ignores. A woman, who does not smile, “because she had no child,” hears the baby’s cry and is led from her vine-covered cottage by the moon, stream, wind and trees to find the babe and bring it home at the end of night.” ‘I will be your mother, little one,’ she said.” The dulcet watercolors are painted in meltingly soft pastels and swooping lines without being overly sweet, though the whole will not appeal to every taste.

Stellaluna. Janell Cannon. 1993. 48p. (gr ps-3). HBJ. Separated from her mother before she is old enough to fly when she falls headfirst into a bird’s nest, a baby fruit bat is raised like a bird until she is reunited with her mother. Stellaluna finds out that not all winged creatures eat fruit. But swallowing food that crawls is just one of the many amazing things this little fruit bat must learn to do. Not all are lessons in survival, however. For as Stellaluna adapts to the habits of her new family, she learns the essence of friendship in humorous and touching ways.

Stolen One, The. Suzanne Crowley. 2009. 416p. (YA). Greenwillow Books. Kat’s true identity is a secret, even from her. All she has ever known are Grace and Anna and their small village. Kat wants more—more than hours spent embroidering finery for wealthy ladies and more than Christian, the gentle young farmer courting her. But there are wolves outside Grace warns. Waiting, with their eyes glowing in the dark ... and Grace has given Kat safety and a home when no one else would. Then a stranger appears in their cottage, bringing the mystery of Kat’s birth with her. In one night, Kat’s destiny finds her. She will leave. She will journey to London, and her skill with the needle will attract the notice of the magnificant Queen Elizabeth—and of the wolves at court. She will discover what Grace would never tell her. Everthing will unravel. About the Author: Suzanne Crowley has always been fascinated with Elizabethan England, and according to family lore, she is a descendant of Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Days Queen. She is also the author of The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous, a Book Sense “Top Ten” Pick. Suzanne Crowley lives with her family in Southlake, TX.

Stonewalkers, The. Vivien Alcock. 1981. 142p. (gr 4-7). Methuen (UK). Everyone is so tired of Poppy Brown’s stories that Poppy has begun talking to garden statues. When her favorite statue, Bella-donna, is struck by lightening and comes to life, Poppy must find a human who’ll listen!

Store-Bought Baby. Sandra Belton. 2006. 256p. (gr 6-up). Greenwillow. From School Library Journal: The funeral for her older, adopted brother, Luce, is almost unbearable for Leah, who can hardly stand to think about why he may have committed suicide. When she overhears a conversation suggesting that it’s because Luce was not his parents’ natural child, Leah decides that knowing more about his birth family and perhaps finding them will help her to cope with her loss. Her best friend and Luce’s girlfriend aid in her search, but ultimately the teen discovers that time, talking with others who miss her brother as much as she does, and being loved help her to heal. A charming new boyfriend doesn’t hurt, either. In this universe, Luce is always depicted as perfection, and no one displays much of the anger common to grieving families. Nor is the question of suicide ever confronted. Leah shows herself to be resilient, as well as a good detective. The adults who have failed to understand her need to know the truth rapidly open up and share their memories in healing ways. Smooth writing almost makes up for the missing pieces, but not quite. – Carol A. Edwards, Douglas County Libraries, Castle Rock, CO; © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stories for Free Children. Edited and with an Introduction by Letty Pogrebin. 1982. 142p. McGraw-Hill. A child-cheering, parent-pleasing book, Stories for Free Children reaffirms the joyful spirit of girls and boys who are free to be themselves and be true to themselves, stories that help parents and kids, teachers adn students discuss sensitive subjects such as divorce, adoption and death.

Storm, The. Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Preston McDaniels. 2002. 80p. (Lighthouse Family). (gr ps-3). Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Life with just the sea can be lonely. Just ask Pandora or Seabold. They’ve lived most of their lives with the sea, and they’re quite used to being alone. Or they were. But one extraordinary day, the same sea that brought Pandora and Seabold together gave them the ingredients for an adventure that neither of them had considered before—an adventure called “family.” Written by Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant in her exceptionally soothing prose, and featuring the tender yet striking illustrations of Preston McDaniels, The Lighthouse Family: The Storm is a thoughtful and reassuring reminder of what it means to be part of a family, one destined to become part of your family for years to come.

Story of Holly & Ivy, The. Rumer Godden. Illustrated by Barbara Cooney. 1985. 32p. (gr k-4). Viking Kestrel. Ivy, Holly, and Mr. and Mrs. Jones all have one Christmas wish. Ivy, an orphan, wishes for a real home and sets out in search of the grandmother she’s sure she can find. Holly, a doll, wishes for a child to bring her to life. And the Joneses wish more than anything for a son or daughter to share their holiday. Can all three wishes come true? This festive tale is perfectly complemented by beloved Barbara Cooney’s luminous illustrations, filled with the warm glow of the Christmas spirit. About the Authors: Rumer Godden was an internationally renowned author. Among her many books are The Doll’s House and The Rocking Horse Secret. She grew up in India and England. Barbara Cooney illustrated more than one hundred picture books. She twice received the Caldecott Medal, for Chanticleer and the Fox and Ox-Cart Man (Viking), while Miss Rumphius was a winner of the American Book Award and a New York Times Best Book of the Year.

Story of Hope, The. Benjamin L Corey. Illustrated by Kathy Loza. 2004. 20p. Trafford Publishing. The Story of Hope is a wonderful discovery of both earthly and heavenly adoption. A little girl named Hope learns of how her parents traveled great distances to adopt her and give her a lifetime of love. She then learns that Jesus has also done the same thing, by coming to earth and giving us the opportunity to become adopted children of God. Based on the scripture Romans 8:14-17, The Story of Hope is a touching book to help show adopted children that adoption is not something that should be a stigma—rather it should be a badge of honor! This book also presents a wonderful illustration to help introduce children to the gospel and the plan of salvation. A “must have” for all Christian parents! About the Author: Benjamin L Corey is an Evangelical Christian Minister and former missionary to orphanages in the former Soviet Union and surrounding eastern block countries. He, along with his wife Rhonda, are currently planning on retuning to Russia to adopt a child from one of these orphanages, and to give them a lifetime of love. All proceeds from the sale of this book will help them raise the needed money to take a child out of a life of loneliness, and to bring them into the permanent arms of love.

Story of Tracy Beaker, The. Jacqueline Wilson. Illustrated by Nick Sharratt. 2001. 144p. (gr 4-7). Random House. Introducing Tracy Beaker, 10-year-old girl-wonder and the daughter of a famous Hollywood actress ... sort of. Tracy Beaker’s not exactly sure what her mother does, because Tracy has been in foster care for as long as she can remember. She has a picture of her mother, who’s pretty enough to be in movies, so maybe she is. And maybe one day Tracy’s mother will show up and reclaim her long-lost daughter, and together they’ll have fabulous adventures. Then again, maybe she won’t. In the meantime, Tracy’s doing everything she can to take care of herself—even though she has to share her birthday cake with silly Petey Ingham just because they have the same birthday ... and even though the other girls she lives with are mean and nasty and rude and horrible. Mostly. Then a journalist shows up to write a story about their orphanage, and she and Tracy strike up a special friendship. In a story written with humor and sensitivity, Tracy emerges as a spirited girl who’s not quite as tough as she lets everybody think she is.

Stout-Hearted Seven: The True Adventure of the Sager Children Orphaned on the Oregon Trail in 1844. Neta L Frazier. 1984. 174p. Northwest Interpretive Association. Book is based on facts but fictionalized of the seven Sager children who were orphaned on the Oregon Trail, only to be adopted by the famous missionary couple of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman.

Stranger With My Face. Lois Duncan. 1981. 250p. (YA). Little, Brown. Seventeen-year-old Laurie Stratton senses she is being spied on and probably impersonated, but when she discovers what actually is occurring, it is more unbelievable than she ever imagined. By the Same Author: I Know What You Did Last Summer. [Pictured: various paperback editions]

Stranger, You & I. Patricia Calvert. 1987. 152p. (YA). Charles Scribner’s Sons. Bewildered by the news that his long-time pal, Zee, is pregnant from an encounter with a boy who cares nothing for her, seventeen-year-old Hugh finds their friendship severely tested as he tries to come to terms with his changing feelings and the desire to be a loyal and supportive friend.

Strays. Ron Koertge. 2007. 176p. (YA). Candlewick. From Booklist: Sixteen-year-old Ted prefers animals to humans; animals “never lie,” and unlike the kids at school, he understands them. When Ted loses his parents in a car accident, he particularly identifies with strays—after all, as a foster kid, that’s what he is. Ted lands in a new home, where his basic needs are met by fair but semi-dysfunctional foster parents and where he coexists with Astin, his older roommate, and C. W., who has had 19 placements in six years. Ted also starts a new school, and with Astin and C. W. at his back, he learns to express himself and to rely upon people as well as animals. Ted’s two-way conversations with animals may initially surprise readers, but this magic realism effectively emphasizes his emotional withdrawal, and his outsider’s observations of human nature are by turns insightful, devastatingly funny, and suffused with loneliness. Though Koertge never soft pedals the horrors experienced by some foster children, this thoughtful novel about the lost and abandoned is a hopeful one, in which some strays find a place to belong. Krista Hutley © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Stuart Little. EB White. 1945. Illustrated by Garth Williams. (gr 5-7). Harper & Brothers. How terribly surprised the Little family must have been when their second child turned out to be a small mouse. Apparently familiar with the axiom that “when in New York City, anything can happen,” the Littles accept young Stuart into their family unquestioningly—with the exception of Snowbell the cat who is unable to overcome his instinctive dislike for the little mouse. They build him a bed from a matchbox, and supply him with all of the accoutrements a young mouse could need. Mrs. Little even fashions him a suit, because baby clothes would obviously be unsuitable for such a sophisticated mouse. In return, Stuart helps his tall family with errant Ping-Pong balls that roll outside of their reach. White takes Stuart on a hero’s quest across the American countryside, introducing the mouse—and the reader—to a myriad of delightful characters. Little finds himself embroiled in one adventure after another from the excitement of racing sailboats to the unseen horrors of substitute teaching. This is a story of leaving home for the first time, of growing up, and ultimately of discovering oneself. At times, doesn’t everyone feel like the sole mouse in a family—and a world—of extremely tall people?

Stuart Little’s Very Big House. Leslie Goldman, Greg Brooker, M Night Shyamalan, E B White. 2000. 32p. (gr ps-3). Harpercollins Juvenile Books. He’s a little mouse in a very big house... All his life, Stuart has dreamed of his own family in his own house. But now that his dreams have come true, things aren’t so easy for the little guy. Everything’s so BIG! What’s a little mouse to do? Luckily, Stuart is no ordinary mouse, and he quickly learns to make a big house to home.

Sudden Change of Family, A. Mary Jane Auch. 1990. 152p. (gr 3-7). Holiday House. The sudden and shocking revelation that Katy’s mother was adopted estranges the two of them from the Whitmarsh family and sends them on a search for their “real” family, forcing Katy to adjust to bizarre but intriguing new relatives.

Summer of Silk Moths, A. Margaret Willey. 2009. 264p. (YA). Flux. From Kirkus Reviews: A thoughtful, complex and moving story about loss and discovery of identity, love and the ability to change and the restorative powers of nature. Seventeen-year-old Pete Shelton is working “shoulder-to-shoulder” with Abe McMichaels, a “silent type” who lived with Pete’s adoptive family for six years. They’re creating a public nature preserve along the St. Joe River in Buchanan, Mich., in memory of Abe’s older brother Paul, a gifted naturalist who died in a car accident 15 years earlier. The past is stirred up with the unexpected arrival of Nora, Paul’s never-before-seen teenage daughter who is fleeing a “creepy stepdad” and a tempestuous relationship with her embittered mother. Like Gene Stratton-Porter’s 1909 classic A Girl of the Limberlost, which inspired Willey, it is anchored by a young person’s passion for collecting North American silk moths and excitement about science; there are other parallels as well. It’s an absorbing mystery, some of which unfolds via Paul’s moth journal written 18 years earlier, and ultimately a love story. The believable characters and the insights into their awakening emotional lives will carry readers along. © 2009, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. About the Author: Margaret Willey has published in many genres—picture books, fiction and poetry. She has written six young adult novels, most recently Facing the Music (1997). In 2002, Clever Beatrice (2001) won the Charlotte Zolotow Award for best text in a picture book. Her most recent picture book is The 3 Bears and Goldilocks (2008). A Summer of Silk Moths marks her return to young adult fiction. She lives in Grand Haven, MI. Visit her online at www.margaretwilley.com.

Sunset Heat. Cherie Bennett. 1992. 213p. Berkeley Pub Group. Sam is ecstatic when she receives an offer from a talent scout to dance in Japan, but she cannot understand the resistance she is getting from her friends and family. [Pictured: Virgin (London) Paperback Edition]

Sunset Surf. Cherie Bennett. 1993. Splash. Come to Sunset Island in Sunset Surf, the exciting 12th book in the bestselling series about Samantha, Emma, and Carrie—away from home in the ultimate summer job. The girls go to San Francisco for the weekend, where Emma falls for Sam’s new-found brother Adam. But what about Kurt? [Pictured: Virgin (London) Paperback Edition]

Susan & Gordon Adopt a Baby. Judy Freudberg & Tony Geiss. Illustrated by Joe Maithieu. 1986. 24p. (Based upon the Sesame Street television scripts). Random House/Children’s Television Workshop. Big Bird tries hard to be helpful when a new baby arrives on Sesame Street.

Susie Q Kitten, Is That Your Sister?. Carol Linden. 2009. 44p. (gr 4-7). Tate Publishing. Two adoptive sisters, Cherié and Susie Q, get into adventuresome trouble in Susie Q Kitten, Is That Your Sister? Susie Q is a beautiful white cat and Cherié a beautiful brown bunny. The girls learn the meaning of family and fun in this whimsical, lighthearted tale with a relevant message.

Sweet Honesty. Stephanie Perry Moore. 2005. 143p. (gr 4-7). Moody Publishers. Ten-year-old Carmen settles into her new home in Ettrick, Virginia. It’s Christmas and Carmen has a problem: she’s bored and conspires against her parents to have a “free day” at the mall without them. A subplot in the story involves adopted brother, Clay, as he continues to wonder about his real parents, and Carmen decides to help him dig into his past. Will her parents find out about their schemes?