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Summary
Summary
A unique story of separated twins and the unexpected consequences of their reunion.
Sunny Skyland longs to be reunited with her twin sister, Starr. With only an old photograph, taken a few days before the girls were separated at age three, to guide her, Sunny begins the cross-country journey that she has dreamed of during her ten years in various foster homes. Sunny manages to locate her twin, only to be faced with a whole new challenge.
Award-winning author Peg Kehret combines suspense and action with reflections on the true meaning of family as Sunny learns that sometimes we must let go of our dreams in order to embrace a different, better future.
Author Notes
Peg Kehret was born in Wisconsin, grew up in Minnesota, spent fourteen years in California, and now lives with her husband in Washington State. They have two grown children, four grandchildren, one dog, and one cat.
Peg's novels for children are regularly recommended by the American Library Association, the International Reading Association, and the Children's Book Council. She has won many state "young reader" or "children's choice" awards. Peg's characters are ordinary kids who find themselves in exciting situations and who use their wits to solve their problems. There is usually humor as well as suspense in her books. A long-time volunteer at The Humane Society, she often uses animals in her stories.
Before she began writing books for children, Peg published plays, short stories, articles, and two books for adults. She is a frequent speaker at conferences for librarians and teachers.
At the age of twelve, Peg had polio and was paralyzed from the neck down. Because she can remember that experience and her year of recovery so vividly, she finds it easy to write in the viewpoint of a twelve or thirteen year old. Most of her main characters are that age. Her autobiography, Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio , won the Golden Kite Award from the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, and the PEN Center USA West Award for Children's Literature.
When she is not writing, Peg likes to watch baseball, bake cookies, and pump her old player piano.
Reviews (3)
Booklist Review
Kehret's latest novel offers reluctant readers a fast-paced, simple plot with unexpected adventure. After bouncing around Nebraska's foster-care system since she was three, 13-year-old Sunny Skyland finally finds stability with kind Rita. Yet, despite Sunny's happy living situation, she cannot help but think about her long-lost twin sister, Starr, from whom she was separated ten years ago. After finding cash on a trail near her home (she does attempt to find the owners), Sunny decides to run away to Washington State (where she and Starr lived before their separation) to find her sister. Sunny is a clever and resourceful teen who manages to rescue a stray dog, survive a tornado, and overpower bullies. While the highly anticipated reunion with Starr is a letdown, readers will be most struck by Sunny's compassion and determination during a difficult adventure. Even though there is nothing particularly fresh in this tale, the easy first-person narrative and consistent action will engage struggling readers.--Garnick, Kimberly Copyright 2009 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-7-Sunny Skyland has missed her twin sister ever since they were separated at age three after their mother and grandmother were killed in an automobile accident. Sunny has kept her memories of Starr alive over the past decade and in seven foster homes. Then, the discovery of a canvas bag containing $800, with no claimant, spurs Sunny to travel from Nebraska to her old neighborhood in Enumclaw, WA. Sunny is an experienced runaway who plans carefully and tells no one. She boards a bus for the first leg of her journey but then complicates her life by adopting a stray dog. Her trip is thwarted by a group of teenage boys, and she survives a tornado. She does reach her destination, but not with the expected ending. At times the plot twists, although possible, are improbable. Nonetheless, Sunny is a compelling and resourceful character whose adventures will keep readers turning the pages to see how things turn out.-Kathryn Kosiorek, formerly at Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A runaway teen travels from Nebraska to Washington searching for the twin sister she's been separated from for ten years. Haunted by memories of her sister, 13-year-old Sunny decides it's time to start looking when she stumbles upon an abandoned bag of money. A veteran of seven foster-care placements, Sunny doesn't want to leave her current home with Rita, who gives her space, makes her laugh and lets her choose clothes, books and music. Propelled by her dream of finding her sister, though, Sunny carefully escapes by bus, but she isn't prepared for the homeless dog, the bullies or the tornado she encounters en route. Nor is she prepared for what her search reveals. Narrating her tale in a realistic voice, Sunny explains she's not a bad girl. As she crosses the country alone, she's resilient in the face of danger, honest when temptation calls and pragmatic when she realizes Rita may be the family she needs. Although Sunny's resourcefulness and maturity stretch credibility, her dogged determination will inspire. (Fiction. 10-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
