Award-winning author Adrian Fogelin’s latest book for middle readers follows an unlikely but enduring friendship that is forged between two adolescent girls.
Anna Casey likes living in North Florida with biology teacher Miss Johnette, her latest foster mother. Best of all, Miss J wants to adopt Anna. Still, it is hard to grow into a new family, a new life, and a new school all at once, especially when you’ve been rootless nearly all of your life.
Mica Delano likes living aboard her sailboat, the Martina, which is docked at a marina in the Florida Keys. Best of all, the marina’s owners, whom she calls Aunt Emma and Uncle Bert, try hard to make up for the sometimes inattentive parenting she gets from her marine biologist father. But Mica fears that her restless father will soon pull anchor, taking them away from the safety of Bert’s Marina.
A chance correspondence between these two girls separated by the length of the state of Florida becomes a flourishing friendship. As they share their love of nature, each helps the other cope with uncertainty and loneliness and profound change.
Mica enrolls in public school for the first time since first grade and suffers the agony of trying to fit in. Anna must make room in her heart for a possible rival when her beloved foster mother becomes serious about a suitor. In the end, Anna and Mica save each other and themselves with hope, humor, and a shared love of the natural world.
“Fogelin offers a readable combination of narrative and letters that are infused with details about science, as the girls send seed pods, shells and other specimens to each other. Readers will appreciate the pen-pal friendship and the hopeful ending.” ?Kirkus Reviews
“Fogelin does a beautiful job of examining the complex, often painful, aspects of friendship and family.” ?The Oklahoman
“Another wonderful children’s book . . .” ?Tallahassee Democrat
“With insight and compassion, Fogelin explores the complexities and rewards of friendship and family . . . A heartfelt story that shows the many factors that create family, friends, and home.” ?Booklist
“This . . . book in Fogelin’s ‘neighborhood’ series can stand alone, and the ending makes it clear that this enjoyable saga will continue.” ?School Library Journal Adrian Fogelin is the author of several novels for middle readers and young adults, including Crossing Jordan and The Real Question. She lives in Florida.
