Overview

Eleven-year-old Toby Steiner wants to do normal things on his vacation. He wants to hike and race his bike down the hill. He wants to learn to fish out on the lake. He doesn't want to return to the children's hospital where his painful cancer treatment finally ended. When Toby starts spending time with Pearl, a spunky old woman who lives on a nearby farm, and Blossom, her broken-down cow, he sees all the more reason to keep the new lump on his side a secret from his parents. From Pearl he discovers the beauty of poetry, and from Blossom he just might uncover the meaning of life.

Full Product Details

9780312535810

Table of Contents

Reviews

Real and poignant. -- Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review Beautiful and gripping . . . The victory of the human spirit shines through Defiance like the sun. --Suzanne Fisher Staples, Newbery Honor-winning author of Shabanu Emotionally satisfying. Hobbs, a gifted writer, does a quietly effective job of dramatizing the life-affirming power of both poetry and a cross-generational friendship. -- Booklist The wit and wisdom of poetry give this potentially sentimental plot depth and a welcome acidity. Hobb's dry humor is deliciously evident in Pearl's ironic take on things. -- The Horn Book <br> A poetic tale of empowerment with gentle touches of humor. -- School Library Journal This simple, touching story offers great characterization. -- Voice of Youth Advocates This gripping story will send fans searching for this author's previous books. --SIGNAL Journal A heartwarming story of self-discovery. --A YALSA Teen YA Galley Reader

Real and poignant. -- Kirkus Reviews , Starred Review Beautiful and gripping . . . The victory of the human spirit shines through Defiance like the sun. --Suzanne Fisher Staples, Newbery Honor-winning author of Shabanu Emotionally satisfying. Hobbs, a gifted writer, does a quietly effective job of dramatizing the life-affirming power of both poetry and a cross-generational friendship. -- Booklist The wit and wisdom of poetry give this potentially sentimental plot depth and a welcome acidity. Hobb's dry humor is deliciously evident in Pearl's ironic take on things. -- The Horn Book <br> A poetic tale of empowerment with gentle touches of humor. -- School Library Journal This simple, touching story offers great characterization. -- Voice of Youth Advocates This gripping story will send fans searching for this author's previous books. --SIGNAL Journal A heartwarming story of self-discovery. --A YALSA Teen YA Galley Reader

Real and poignant. -- Starred, Kirkus Reviews This gripping story will send fans searching for this author's previous books. -- SIGNAL Emotionally satisfying. Hobbs, a gifted writer, does a quietly effective job of dramatizing the life-affirming power of both poetry and a cross-generational friendship. -- Booklist Without morbidity, Hobbs ranges between tart and poignant, sorrowful rage and hope. -- The Horn Book This simple, touching story offers great characterization. -- VOYA Real and poignant. --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review Beautiful and gripping . . . The victory of the human spirit shines through Defiance like the sun. --Suzanne Fisher Staples, Newbery Honor-winning author of Shabanu Emotionally satisfying. Hobbs, a gifted writer, does a quietly effective job of dramatizing the life-affirming power of both poetry and a cross-generational friendship. --Booklist The wit and wisdom of poetry give this potentially sentimental plot depth and a welcome acidity. Hobb's dry humor is deliciously evident in Pearl's ironic take on things. --The Horn Book A poetic tale of empowerment with gentle touches of humor. --School Library Journal This simple, touching story offers great characterization. --Voice of Youth Advocates This gripping story will send fans searching for this author's previous books. --SIGNAL Journal A heartwarming story of self-discovery. --A YALSA Teen YA Galley Reader Real and poignant. Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review Beautiful and gripping . . . The victory of the human spirit shines through Defiance like the sun. Suzanne Fisher Staples, Newbery Honor winning author of Shabanu Emotionally satisfying. Hobbs, a gifted writer, does a quietly effective job of dramatizing the life-affirming power of both poetry and a cross-generational friendship. Booklist The wit and wisdom of poetry give this potentially sentimental plot depth and a welcome acidity. Hobb's dry humor is deliciously evident in Pearl's ironic take on things. The Horn Book A poetic tale of empowerment with gentle touches of humor. School Library Journal This simple, touching story offers great characterization. Voice of Youth Advocates This gripping story will send fans searching for this author's previous books. SIGNAL Journal A heartwarming story of self-discovery. A YALSA Teen YA Galley Reader Real and poignant. Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review Beautiful and gripping . . . The victory of the human spirit shines through Defiance like the sun. Suzanne Fisher Staples, Newbery Honor winning author of Shabanu Emotionally satisfying. Hobbs, a gifted writer, does a quietly effective job of dramatizing the life-affirming power of both poetry and a cross-generational friendship. Booklist The wit and wisdom of poetry give this potentially sentimental plot depth and a welcome acidity. Hobb's dry humor is deliciously evident in Pearl's ironic take on things. The Horn Book A poetic tale of empowerment with gentle touches of humor. School Library Journal This simple, touching story offers great characterization. Voice of Youth Advocates This gripping story will send fans searching for this author's previous books. SIGNAL Journal A heartwarming story of self-discovery. A YALSA Teen YA Galley Reader Real and poignant. -- Kirkus Reviews , Starred Review Beautiful and gripping . . . The victory of the human spirit shines through Defiance like the sun. --Suzanne Fisher Staples, Newbery Honor-winning author of Shabanu Emotionally satisfying. Hobbs, a gifted writer, does a quietly effective job of dramatizing the life-affirming power of both poetry and a cross-generational friendship. -- Booklist The wit and wisdom of poetry give this potentially sentimental plot depth and a welcome acidity. Hobb's dry humor is deliciously evident in Pearl's ironic take on things. -- The Horn Book A poetic tale of empowerment with gentle touches of humor. -- School Library Journal This simple, touching story offers great characterization. -- Voice of Youth Advocates This gripping story will send fans searching for this author's previous books. --SIGNAL Journal A heartwarming story of self-discovery. --A YALSA Teen YA Galley Reader Real and poignant. -- Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review Beautiful and gripping . . . The victory of the human spirit shines through Defiance like the sun. --Suzanne Fisher Staples, Newbery Honor-winning author of Shabanu Emotionally satisfying. Hobbs, a gifted writer, does a quietly effective job of dramatizing the life-affirming power of both poetry and a cross-generational friendship. -- Booklist The wit and wisdom of poetry give this potentially sentimental plot depth and a welcome acidity. Hobb's dry humor is deliciously evident in Pearl's ironic take on things. -- The Horn Book A poetic tale of empowerment with gentle touches of humor. -- School Library Journal This simple, touching story offers great characterization. -- Voice of Youth Advocates This gripping story will send fans searching for this author's previous books. --SIGNAL Journal A heartwarming story of self-discovery. --A YALSA Teen YA Galley Reader

Author Information

Valerie Hobbs is the recipient of the 1999 PEN/Norma Klein Award, a biennial prize that recognizes ""an emerging voice of literary merit among American writers of children's fiction."" She is the author of young adult and middle-grade novels including Sheep, Anything but Ordinary, and The Last Best Days of Summer. She holds a B.A. and an M.A. in English from the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she has taught academic writing. Valerie lives in Santa Barbara, California, with her husband.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available