About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is grappling with the silent burden of family financial stress, the weight of a secret guilt, or the feeling that they must choose between their own needs and those of a friend. It is a poignant, lyrical story about twelve-year-old Little John, who is helping his father clear brush for a wealthy businessman while his family struggles to keep their home. Little John meets Gayle, a foster child with a magical singing voice who lives in the woods. As he is pressured by an adult to betray Gayle for a reward that could save his family, the story explores the agonizing tension between loyalty and survival. It is an emotionally resonant choice for children ages 10 to 12 who are moving toward more complex, realistic fiction that addresses the realities of poverty and the power of integrity.
