about the book
Sugar Mae Cole has never been homeless before. Expressing herself through poetry, this brave twelve-year-old narrates what happens to her after her grandfather passes away and her dad abandons the family once again.
Sugar Mae and her mother Reba are left to fend for themselves. This time is worse than all the others—her father has left behind a massive gambling debt, and since they are unable to pay the rent, they lose their house. Sugar’s mother is having trouble holding it all together.
While Reba always taught Sugar to be grateful no matter what, Sugar is having a hard time finding gratitude when spending nights outside and having to pee on the side of the road.
Hoping to make a new start, Sugar and Reba head to Chicago, where a foster family graciously takes them in and a teacher becomes Sugar’s closest friend. But it is the love of a rescued pup named Shush who helps Sugar the most.
Slowly she begins to realize that although she can’t control everything that is happening to her, she can control how she handles it, and in time, begins to shape a new life for herself and her mother.
about the author
In her novels, Joan Bauer has always tried to explore the more difficult parts of life with humor and hope.
Joan was born at the “reasonable time” of 11:00 AM, says her mother. She had hiccups and her head was so small that she seemed to have no forehead at all. She grew up in River Forest, Illinois, in the 1950s, and remembers loving funny things. She envied people who could make other people laugh, like her mother—a high school English teacher—and her grandmother, who was a professional storyteller.
Throughout her childhood Joan kept a diary, played the flute, taught herself guitar, and wrote folk songs. She also read as much as a child could possibly read while still engaging in these other activities. The River Forest Public Library’s old green leather chairs were her sanctuary.
In her twenties she worked in sales and advertising for Parade magazine, McGraw-Hill, the Chicago Tribune, and WLS Radio. One time on vacation she met her husband, Evan. He asked her to dance. She said no. Five months later they got married. Shortly after that Joan turned to writing professionally full-time, but it wasn’t until she was in a serious car accident and in need of neurosurgery that she turned to writing young adult novels. Her first book, Squashed, was about her recovery from the car accident.
Throughout her recovery she realized how laughter can be very good medicine and now if she is writing a story and laughing to herself, she knows she is on the right track.
Source:
Author website
Author interview: Mackin
Author video interview
Book trailer: Almost Home
Also by Joan Bauer:
Close to Famous. Viking Juvenile. 2011.
Peeled. Putnam Publishing. 2008.
Best Foot Forward. Putnam Publishing. 2005.
Stand Tall. Putnam Publishing. 2002.
Hope Was Here. Putnam Publishing. 2000.
read more!
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