Jacksonville Public Library

A soft place to land, Janae Marks

eng

no index present

Ages 8-12, Katherine Tegen Books

fiction

A soft place to land

1227086325

Janae Marks

Accelerated Reader, MG, 3.9, 7, 7, 513797

Joy Taylor has always believed home is the house she lived in her entire life. But then her dad lost his job, and suddenly, home becomes a tiny apartment with thin walls, shared bedrooms, and a place for tense arguments between Mom and Dad. Hardest of all, Joy doesn't have her music to escape through anymore. Without enough funds, her dreams of becoming a great pianist--and one day, a film score composer--have been put on hold. A friendly new neighbor, Nora, lets Joy in on the complex's best-kept secret: the Hideout, a cozy refuge that only the kids know about. And it's in this little hideaway that Joy starts exchanging secret messages with another kid in the building who also seems to be struggling, until--abruptly--they stop writing back. Joy is determined to find out who this mystery writer is, fast, but between managing a new dog-walking business with Nora, keeping on a brave face for her little sister, and worrying about her parents' marriage, Joy isn't sure how to keep her own head above water. --Adapted from jacket

pre adolescent