Group Homes from Outer Space

Joan Buchanan is a children’s storyteller and author of Taking Care of
My Cold and What If I Were in Charge?

This short, high-interest, low-vocabulary novel will hook young-adult
readers from the first page. The story stays focused on the action;
descriptives are brief and limited, but the characterizations and plot
are believable. There’s lots of dialogue, and Wesley Lowe’s numerous
pencil drawings add interest, emotion, and visual clues.

This novel covers a short but critical time in Sophie’s life.
Physically and emotionally abused by her well-respected father,
unprotected by her abused and alcoholic mother, on probation for
shoplifting, and in trouble at school for skipping classes, Sophie
(nicknamed Froggy) has very low self-esteem. Trapped, she tries to hide
her bruises and bumps.

Through the first-person narrative, Froggy’s innermost thoughts and
feelings are revealed in a strong, true voice of doubt, cynicism, and
vulnerability. Beth Goobie gives a realistic treatment of a teenage
victim paralyzed by fear, self-blame, and parental betrayal. However,
Froggy’s tough humor and the foil of a caring imaginative younger
friend balance the tone, keeping the book readable and hopeful. While
the ending promises healing and health, it is not pat. The fear and
discomfort that arise from unfamiliar feelings and surroundings are
recognized.

Many junior-high teens will identify with Froggy and enjoy her
triumphs. Highly recommended.