My most favorite juvenile chapter book is this magical
mystery about the tough times challenging Early Pearl’s family. The title is
taken from the famous Langston Hughes poem and there is more than a bit of
poetic justice as the story plays out. The Pearls live happily in a small one
room apartment in a poor area of Chicago. They are happy despite their poverty
because they have a dream and that is to get their own house. Her father works
in a library and instills a love of reading in his family until the day he
disappears. Quickly following his disappearance, they lose the apartment and
become homeless. Early has hidden resources of strength and refuses to lose
hope, even as her mom begins to fade. This eleven year old girl is resourceful
and enlists the help of her father’s ex-teacher to try to find her missing
beloved father. She uses the system and finds allies in the most unlikely
places – at the homeless shelter.
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