You May Already Be a Winner($17.47Value)

Description

For fans of Ali Benjamin’s The Thing About Jellyfish and Katherine Applegate’s Crenshaw comes the humorous and heart aching story of one girl’s struggle to keep hope alive for her and her younger sister in Sunny Pines Trailer Park. Twelve-year-old Olivia Hales has a foolproof plan for winning a million dollars so that she and her little sister, Berkeley, can leave behind Sunny Pines Trailer Park. But first she has to: ·  Fix the swamp cooler and make dinner and put Berkeley to bed because her mom is too busy to do all that ·  Write another letter to her dad even though he hasn’t written back yet ·  Teach Berk the important stuff, like how to make chalk drawings, because they can’t afford day care and Olivia has to stay home from school to watch her ·  Petition her oddball neighbors for a circus spectacular, because there needs to be something to look forward to at dumb-bum Sunny Pines ·  Become a super-secret spy to impress her new friend Bart ·  Enter a minimum of fourteen sweepstakes a day. Who knows? She may already be a winner! Olivia has thought of everything . . . except herself. Who will take care of her when she needs it? Luckily, somewhere deep down between her small intestine and stomach is a tiny voice reminding her that sometimes people can surprise you—and sometimes your family is right next door. Gr 4–6—With her father gone and her mother working overtime, there is never enough food, money, or attention in 12-year-old Olivia Hales's life. She enters multiple contests a day because the words, "You may already be a winner" give her hope for a better future. She takes care of her little sister Berk during the day, even skipping school to do so. When neighbor boy Bart notices that Olivia has been sacrificing school and friendships to care for her younger sister, he tells on her, bringing her carefully constructed plans to an end. The quirky characters and drama keep the story interesting and imaginative. The young characters deal with divorce, abandonment, and adult responsibilities. Short chapters include letters Olivia writes to her father. VERDICT Recommended for readers who enjoy realism with roller-coaster emotional arcs.—Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, Alta. “When I closed the last page I wanted to jump on Olivia’s tramp, just to celebrate her resounding resilience. This book is a love story for all those kids who have had to grow up way too soon, but who also face life with commitment, fortitude and above all, dedication.”—KATHI APPELT, author of the Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award finalist THE UNDERNEATH   “Olivia’s voice captured me from the first line, but it was her bravery and devotion to her family that kept me reading to the end. The only thing stronger than her imagination is her heart, and my own broke for her as I read. Unforgettable.”—CASSIE BEASLEY, author of the New York Times bestseller CIRCUS MIRANDUS   “I felt like I hit the jackpot when I read this book. Olivia’s story is lively, full of heart, and a must-read for anyone who knows what it feels like to hope and dream big.”—ALLY CONDIE, author of New York Time s bestseller MATCHED and SUMMERLOST "Distinct, colorful, richly imaginative, thoroughly authentic, often hilarious, and frequently heartbreaking...Readers of this memorable novel will feel like winners, too."— Kirkus Reviews "Olivia’s first-person narrative fills brief,expressive chapters where she mixes fantasy and real life at will, all in a lyrical, poetic voice. Ellisrealistically taps into the kind of magical thinking so typical of kids trying to solve big problems, andplenty of readers might recognize themselves in the appealingly optimistic, daydreaming Olivia."— Booklist Ann Dee Ellis lives in Utah with her husband and five children. She is the author of the YA novels This is What I Did: , Everything is Fine , and The End or Something Like That .   You May Already Be a Winner is her middle grade debut. Chapter 1 One day I sunk to the bottom of the pool and died. People were screaming and a boy named Troy jumped in and even though he was a lifeguard and he had a whistle, he was scared. Very very scared. He jumped in and I saw him coming and I said, “Too late. I’m already dead.” And he said, nothing. Because he was lugging my body to the surface. People screamed. Especially Mom. She was saying: “NO! NO! NO! MY BABY!” And someone was holding her back because she was trying to jump in with me and Troy, but this would only complicate things. Troy tried tried tried to get me over to the side of the pool and there was a crowd, including my old best friend Carlene and her new best friend Bonnie. They were bawling and the other lifeguards were yelling at Troy and he was saying, “I GOT IT!” I was flopping around, turning blue, and now my mom was passed out. When he finally got me to the deck, his lips were on my lips and he was breathing hard into my lungs. Though I’d never been kissed, my soft mouth molded to his as